Work on Linn County's new admininstrative offices nears deadline

Linn County departments are into the last months at their temporary home at Westdale Mall.

Crews working on the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, perhaps the centerpiece of the county's recovery from the June 2008 flood, are working to meet a May 11 deadline on the project. That will allow departments now at the mall to move by July.

"All the discussion with the contractor is they'll have it ready for us to move," said Garth Fagerbakke, the county's construction manager. "The end of May, we need to have to have it finished."

Fagerbakke said the top two floors of the three-story building have been finished, and furniture and fixtures are being installed.

"They'll be close" to making the deadline, Supervisor Linda Langston, D-Cedar Rapids, said at Tuesday morning's meeting.

The county's $11 million contract with Miron Construction of Cedar Rapids calls for the building to be "substantially completed" next week. That's defined as "ready for its intended use," Fagerbakke said.

Tentative plans call for offices now at Westdale - auditor, recorder, and treasurer as well as the supervisors' offices and meeting room - to move over a weekend in June. Fagerbakke said the shift will force the offices to be closed only one day, a Friday, for the move.

"It's too confusing for public to be open two locations," said Fagerbakke.

Auditor Joel Miller expects his will be the last to move. He plans to remain at Westdale to handle the June 5 primary election in which he's challenged by former supervisor Jim Houser and Brian Gradoville on the Democratic side of the ballot. There's also a contest for the First District congressional ballot between Republicans Ben Lange and Rod Blum.

"The plan to stay basically freeze everything in place until the possibility no longer exists for recount or anything from the June 5 primary," said Miller. "My office should be the last one to move."

Miller said he'll be required to maintain custody of ballots in case a recount or other challenge is filed, a process that could take until June 15.

The project, which gutted the flood-damaged former Administrative Office Building at 930 1

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St. SW, carries a $14.8 million total price tag, funded through:

FEMA $4.2 million

I-JOBS $4.4 million

State funds $4.5 million

County funds $800,000

Proceeds from sale of county-owned Witwer Building $500,000

Grants $400,000