Stay the course

Rejection often spurs action, and the Linn County Board of Supervisors is responding.

When the state I-Jobs board in late August turned down the county's application for $8.8 million toward a proposed $12 million renovation and expansion of the county's flood-damaged Administrative Office Building on First Street SW, supervisors were told that the project didn't have enough public support. They also were advised to do more study and take public feedback on other options.

We think that was the right message.

Supervisors promptly commissioned a local engineering/design firm to do what we and some in county government wanted to see months ago: an outside analysis of what it would cost to turn the county's temporary offices at the former Steve & Barry's store at Westdale Mall into a permanent facility. Many patrons have said they like the ease of access and plenty of free parking at that site.

Howard R. Green Co.'s report was announced this week and essentially said the building and its heating/cooling machinery need a complete overhaul - up to $15 million, plus the estimated purchase price of

$3.5 million. We wonder if there's wiggle room in those figures and the extent of rehab needed, but at least this report provides a useful comparison.

The supervisors also plan to further evaluate the other four options on the table:

l Repair the Administrative Office Building to its pre-flood state, the cost of which would be essentially covered by $3.2 million in federal funding.

l Rehab and expand the AOB as proposed before the I-Jobs rejection.

l Purchase and rehab the former Econofoods Building at 51st Street NE for about $12 million.

l Pursue a co-location project with the city of Cedar Rapids and/or the Cedar Rapids school district, which could involve building a new facility or revamping an existing building or buildings.

The public deserves to know what the upfront and operating costs of each option would be, what federal or state funding is likely and how much local taxpayer money would be needed - such as a bond issue. Only then would the county's open houses planned later this fall be relevant.

In the case of co-location, producing such information may not be possible in short order since the county only recently agreed to re-enter discussion with the city and school. But at least the public needs to know if co-location is viable and what it might look like.

Also to consider: If the county produces a good apples-to-apples comparison of the options, reapplying to the I-Jobs board is still a possibility.

Supervisor Linda Langston points out that this is a complicated process. Agreed. We also urge her and the board to stay the course and find a solution the public will support.