By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Courthouse Improvement Project is officially in full swing. On Feb. 8, the Barton County Commission approved the $4.2 million project that will address the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, among other renovations. Wednesday morning, the body moved forward with a pair of leases to ensure courthouse staff will have a place to go while the work is completed.
The brunt of county operations will move to the High Noon Properties building, formerly the JCPenney store, located at 1500 Kansas Ave. in Great Bend. The county will pay $20,000 to hold the property until taking over the lease on June 30, after which point it will rent the building for $15,000 a month, or $4.35 a square foot.
"I think the location of it, being close to the courthouse, is also nice," said Commissioner Donna Zimmerman. "I think everyone can be under one roof with the exception of the court system, which is also a plus."
The commission also approved a 12-month lease at the Great Bend, LLC. property, formerly the Sears store, located at 1709 Main Street in Great Bend. The county will pay $10,000 to secure the building until the June 30 lease kicks in at $5,000 a month, or $6.83 a square foot. District Court and the Barton County Attorney's Office will share that space, with provided space for two courtrooms similar to the system already in place at the courthouse.
"It has two large office spaces, I guess you might call it, that are separated, which will allow us to continue our court operations," said Commission Chair Shawn Hutchinson. "It was a discussion whether or not we should build courtrooms inside the Penneys building. By the time we did that, we could very well slow the project down and spend just as much or more money than just leasing this other building."
Owners of the properties will be responsible for any exterior work needed on the buildings. The county will pay for renovations necessary inside to keep county operations functioning, and $15,000 will be split for carpeting and paint inside the High Noon Properties building. The county cannot apply the $30,000 in hold payments to future lease payments.
"Because of the situation we're in, we needed to get these buildings secured," County Administrator Matt Patzner said. "We just needed to guarantee that they're going to be there for us because of that four-month gap. The timing of this never lined up perfectly, having to approve the project and also needing a place to go. This just ensures we have a place to go."
The leases begin June 30 and will run through June 30, 2024, and both locations have an option of additional month-long contracts for up to 12 months after the first year should the project take longer than expected.
So far, the move is within the county's expected budget for the project, though unknown repair expenses may continue to filter in throughout the process. Patzner said a definitive timeline for the move has not been set, and the county will likely have to hire an outside moving firm to help with the transition.