Courthouse to see major changes

Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette | Jul 15, 20210

COLFAX — Whitman County starts on an $8.9 million remodeling project of county facilities in the fall.

The project replaces the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) and the elevator to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Asbestos is being removed from the building, lights upgraded, and cables replaced to handle the latest information technology.

The building’s electrical power is being upgraded.

All the windows are being replaced to meet current energy standards.

The insulated padding that makes up the outside wall of the jail is being repaired and covered with metal.

The backup generator serving the jail and the courthouse is being replaced.

Some lighting in the Public Service Building is being switched to LED fixtures.

The cost for the project is $8.9 million. The county is using $4.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and with general fund money from the county budget.

Spokane-based contractor McKinstry Company is doing the work and operating at a guaranteed cost, which means the price can’t increase even if materials or labor does before it’s done.

Whitman County Facilities Manager Brandy Dean is overseeing the project, which is to be conducted in three phases. For the first, the upstairs of the courthouse closes for the elevator work, followed by half of the first floor for the second phase and the other half for the third phase.

Construction starts this fall and is expected to take eight months.

“It’ll be a major project,” said Swannack.

Superior court and district court need to be relocated during construction.

Options for district court include moving to the Public Service Building or having it operate in Pullman five days each week instead of two days each week.

Superior court may be moved to the county commissioners’ chambers or the Public Service Building.

“We’ve got a bunch of stuff to figure out in the next two months before this starts,” Swannack said.