Linn County awards bid to renovate courthouse from 2008 flood

The Linn County Board of Supervisors awarded a contract to Unzeitig Construction of Cedar Rapids for renovation of the Linn County Courthouse on May's Island. The courthouse is Linn County's fifth and final construction project to rebuild from the 2008 flood.

“This is a milestone for Linn County,” said Linda Langston, chairwoman of the Linn County Board of Supervisors. “This contract is the final piece of the puzzle. All Linn County government buildings will be back in full operation in a permanent location by early 2012 – less than four years after the worst natural disaster in our state's history. Linn County residents can be proud of the speed in which we have accomplished this recovery.”

Unzeitig was the lowest bidder on the project. The base construction bid and three alternates approved today totaled $6,283,600. Alternates include remodeling the third floor restrooms, creating a handicap-accessible ramp to the courthouse entrance and a site wall on the east side to complement the ramp.

The projected total cost of the Courthouse reconstruction is $8,544,413 which, in addition to construction, includes building automation and lighting controls, security system, fire alarm system, video arraignment equipment, furniture, public art, architecture and contingency fees and other related costs. The project budget meets the early estimates of the project. The Courthouse renovations will be funded by $6.2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and approximately $2.4 million in disaster recovery bonds issued by Linn County.

While the upper levels of the Linn County Courthouse on May's Island reopened in October 2008, the lower level, which housed juvenile court offices and record storage, has remained closed while Linn County worked with FEMA on mitigation and improvements that will reduce the severity of damages should there ever be another flood of the magnitude of 2008.

The Courthouse reconstruction includes creating courtrooms in the lower levels instead of replacing the offices and storage areas that were flooded. Should the lower level flood again, it would be easier and more cost effective to replace courtroom space than to replace offices and risk damage to stored items. The floor plans also call for rearranging some offices on the upper floors to make the best use of space throughout the Courthouse. The juvenile court functions that were in the Courthouse's lower level will be housed in the Juvenile Justice Center currently under construction. Mitigation also includes filling in the tunnels between the jail and the Courthouse and the Courthouse and the underground parkade.

Like Linn County's other construction projects, the Courthouse will be reconstructed using a project labor agreement and local labor.

The renovation of the Courthouse should be complete by spring 2012. For information on Linn County's other flood recovery construction projects, visit

www.linncounty.org and click on “Flood Recovery.”