By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
So far, so good on the Courthouse HVAC Renovation Project in Barton County. Commissioners and administration toured the building last Tuesday to check progress on the project originally projected at $4.2 million. County Administrator Matt Patzner said one large concern before the project was leaking pipes. That should not be an issue down the road.
"The way they installed it," he said, "if there's an issue in a certain office or a certain part of the pipe, there's a valve we can shut off and we can just deal with that pipe instead of having to shut off the water for the entire building, which is going to be a huge help to not interrupt operations if there's ever a repair that needs to be made in the future."
The elevator has been modernized so it should now be dependable daily, but when the courthouse reopens later this year, elevator use will decrease substantially with the treasurer's office being moved to the first floor.
"We all kind of knew this, but seeing it firsthand in the Penney's building, 90 percent of traffic is going to the treasurer's office," Patzner said. "I think if we could start over with the courthouse and lay everything out from ground zero, the treasurer's office would have definitely been on the first floor. That's going to make it more convenient for tax payers, and it's also going to create less wear and tear on the elevator and put us in a better position to access the public and meet their needs."
A new fire alarm system has been installed, and new flooring and paint are other components of the renovation. Commissioners noticed a byproduct of the new paint during Tuesday's tour.
"We really haven't done anything to the marble itself," said Patzner. "The paint color we picked, it seems to make the accents in the marble that's already there pop out a little bit more."
After 17 months of planning, the Barton County Commission approved the $4.2 million project in February 2023. The backbone of the project is the replacement of the 2-pipe heating and cooling system with modern technology, replacing lighting and updating other electrical components, and adding the new flooring and paint while the building is empty. The county is using $2.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for part of the project.
County and court staff moved to three locations in downtown Great Bend during the renovation, with the courthouse completely emptied by July 12, 2023. Patzner said everything is still on schedule and the substantial completion date for the project is May 17. Everything is expected to be back in the courthouse by June 1.