County office building costs rise; work starts this fall

Hubbard County’s new office addition has a slightly pared down look, with a slightly higher price tag.
Estimates presented the board Tuesday show the structure will cost $5.626 million, up from the $5.553 million previously estimated.
That change does not alarm county commissioners. But the cost of furniture, which the estimate doesn’t take into consideration, could reach an additional $185,000.
Architect Steve Johnson of Minneapolis, who designed the Social Services addition above the county jail, presented the revamped plans along with fabric swatches and wall colors.
The interior will be the same muted earth tones the Social Services office décor is in, which is identical to the Essentia Clinic addition completed several years ago.
“Since 2006 estimates have been dead-on accurate,” said Pete Filippi of Contegrity Group, the construction manager for the project, in answer to questions about whether the project cost would rise.
The county plans on digging into its reserve fun, defraying overall cost by $2 million. It will sell bonds for the remainder.
Construction is slated to begin this fall. Some offices, such as the County Attorney, could be disrupted up to two years. That office is scheduled to move into the basement, where the county boardroom currently is.