Building design OK'd
Butler County now has a final design for a new office building to be constructed on Jackson Street adjacent to the government center.
The county commissioners on Wednesday approved the design and authorized the preparation of construction documents to seek potential builders for the $11.5 million project.
During a presentation at the commissioners meeting, Michael Preston, senior associate of the Butler division of the architectural firm Stantec, said the final design makes efficient use of office space.
“We don’t expect any changes,” Preston said.
The design for the Butler Government Center Annex calls for four levels, including a garage on the bottom.
The third and fourth levels would house office space for county Human Services, including Children and Youth Services.
The second level would be shell space for office expansion and for mechanical equipment.
John Hays of Thomas & Williamson, the Pittsburgh firm serving as construction manager, pointed out the project would cost less than the initial estimate of $12.1 million.
Among the reductions was lowering the contingency fund from 10 percent to 5 percent of construction costs, which also decreased from $8.9 million to $8.8 million.
Preston said there are two challenges in using the site: working around a transformer for the government center that is on the Washington Street side and the retaining walls along Jackson Street left from the old prison.
Tom Demko, principal architect for Stantec, said the design for the building is “whimsical.”
Demko said structures should be indicative of their surroundings, citing the example of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
“We have an opportunity to build a symbol of Butler County,” he said.
Commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton approved the design while Commissioner Jim Eckstein dissented.
Eckstein, who favors leasing space from existing buildings, told Stantec representatives that he liked their work, but he couldn’t support the project.
He also voted against hiring Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, which has a Pittsburgh office, for $1,500 to locate underground utility lines and conduits at the site.
The only other quote to perform the service was made by a Virginia company for $3,800.
Eckstein did vote with the board majority to amend Stantec’s contract to include work on the government center and courthouse roofs, including the replacement of heating and ventilation equipment.
As the original contract fee was based on 3.8 percent of construction costs, that amount would increase correspondingly with the larger scope of work.
