Butler County is nearly ready to seek contractors for a new office building to be erected adjacent to the government center on Diamond Street.

The county commissioners are set to vote Wednesday to authorize construction documents needed for prospective builders and for approving a final design for the four-level structure.

They discussed the project at their meeting this morning.

The preliminary estimate for the project, which would include a parking lot, was $12.1 million.

Commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton support construction of a new building while Commissioner Jim Eckstein opposes it.

Eckstein prefers the county lease space from an existing building to save money.

The Butler division of the architectural firm Stantec will present the design Wednesday.

However, the project won’t be officially approved until a contractor is selected.