(Spirit Lake)– Meeting in special session Wednesday, the Dickinson county board of supervisors narrowed down the list of possible options for a courthouse bond issue referendum.
Eight options were outlined at a public meeting Tuesday evening. Several more were added Wednesday, and cost estimates were put to them by Al Oberlander of the R-D-G Architectural firm. By the end of the meeting, the supervisors identified four options they liked the most. The option garnering the most support among supervisors is to demolish the existing 1891 courthouse and its additions, and building a new 60-thousand square foot two-story building on the same site. Estimated cost of that option is 10.7 million dollars. Administrative offices would be located on the northwest side, the sheriff’s operations on the southeast side, and court services on the upper level. The tower of the 1891 building would be replicated on the northeast side of the building.
Other options getting favorable responses from the supervisors include leaving the 1891 building as it is and building a new facility housing administrative offices to the west; tearing down all the existing facilities and building new on the existing site or on a new site. Jim Stecker of R-D-G estimated the cost of building a new 60-thousand square foot facility on a new site at 10.4 million dollars. That estimate does not include the cost of land acquisition.
The board directed Oberlander and Stecker to refine plans and cost estimates for each of the four estimates and report back in the next few weeks. Another public meeting will then be held to hear the public’s response.
