The Butler County commissioners on Wednesday awarded two contracts to begin a construction project for a new district court in Cranberry Township.

Pedersen & Pedersen of Valencia received a $22,350 contract for engineering services for the estimated $700,000 project.

The company submitted the lowest of seven proposals. The next lowest was $33,700 from the Butler division of Stantec.

For architectural services, the county awarded a $43,500 contract to 4-Most Group Inc. Architects of Butler, which submitted the lowest of five proposals.

The next lowest proposal was $85,000 from Stantec.

County Commissioner Jim Eckstein was pleased the project drew the number of proposals from firms in the county that it did.

“They were very competitive,” he said.

The county earlier this year bought an acre at 9028 Marshall Road to be the site of the new office for District Judge David Kovach. The new building will have 3,200 square feet.

For 2013, the county is paying $71,651 in rent to Lue-Regent Associates for Kovach’s office on Executive Drive. The three-year lease ends Jan. 31.