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Crews work on new downtown county building

A backhoe operates at the former Vectra Bank building on East Second Avenue. Construction is underway for the La Plata County Administration Building.

The La Plata County Administration Building is under construction at 1101 East Second Avenue, with an eye toward moving several county offices beginning in July.

For the public, that means not having to enter the courthouse and its metal detectors to use the assessor’s office or attend meetings of county commissioners.

The move is prompted by a proposal to bring a federal court to the courthouse, 1060 East Second Ave. To make way for the feds – the county has been negotiating lease terms with the General Services Administration – county offices are moving across the street.

The Administration Building carries an estimated cost of nearly $4 million. The county won a $1.5 million energy impact grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for the extensive renovations, which are aimed at achieving a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design gold environmental rating.

Most recently a Vectra Bank branch, the building at 1101 East Second Ave., was acquired by the county in 2012. The renovations underway largely leave the exterior unchanged, save for new lights and landscaping.

Most of the construction is happening inside.

“We just came in and gutted it,” said Mark McKibben, the county’s director of general services. The building’s concrete construction was sound, he said.

The project will expand the building’s space to 16,147 square feet, up from 12,658 square feet. An elevator is being added to ease public access to the basement.

The county also owns the former Schluter Floral building at 1075 East Second Ave., acquired for $750,000 in 2009. Crews are using the vacant building as an office for the Administration Building construction. The county owns three buildings in two downtown blocks of East Second Avenue.

The Administration Building will house the county manager, assistant county manager and other county administrative staff, the assessor’s office, county commissioners, the finance department and the procurement division. In all, 30 to 35 employees will work in the renovated building, McKibben said.

Having the procurement division – currently operating out of Bodo Industrial Park – together with the finance department – should improve their work flow, said county commissioner Julie Westendorff.

“Having everybody in the same building tends to make everyone a little more efficient,” Westendorff said.

Some natural light in the board’s meeting room will be a welcome change, she said. County commissioners will meet in a large room that can accommodate 140 people.

Another area that was an overhang for the bank is being enclosed and transformed into a communications center that could be used in emergencies. A large backup generator will be installed.

The parking lot will have 44 spaces. The county is considering bids to install solar panels on the covered parking area.

FCI Constructors Inc. of Durango is the general contractor for the project, which was designed by RMBA Architects, another local firm.

cslothower@durangoherald.com



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