MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The Manitowoc County Courthouse is now being renovated. So far, the county says some of the work is coming in under budget.
- The renovation revolves around completely refurbishing the dome.
- Estimated to be a $25-$30 million job, the county says they are already more than $1 million under budget.
- The county hopes for the project to be finished by the end of the decade.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
It's the centerpiece of the county and now the Manitowoc County Courthouse is getting a renovation. Here's the latest on the project costs and when we may have a new dome.
Manitowoc County Board Chair Tyler Martell says the renovation is much needed.
"It's something we've been discussing for going on two years now,” Martell said.
In a previous story, I told you that most of the project will focus on the dome. Martell says it needs to be preserved.
"You see the skyline and there's the courthouse,” says Martell. “It's part of the identity of Manitowoc County, it's on our county seal."
The project is estimated to cost $25 to $30 million and broken into three phases:
- Phase one started last month to replace windows and the HVAC system.
- Phase two is laying out engineering plans for the dome.
- Phase three is refurbishing the dome.
Martell says the county already saved $1 million in phase one after bids came in lower than expected.
"If this first stage of the project came in under budget, we can be hopeful that maybe the first estimates were high on the full dome restoration,” said Martell.
County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer says phase two may also cost less than expected, by around $1 million.
“I hope that that will come in the next couple years, but we aren't there yet,” said Ziegelbauer
Ziegelbauer says their aim is to have the project complete by the end of the decade.
"And that's uncertain,” says Zeigelbauer. “But, we're plowing along slowly and we're making progress."
Martell says the costs may seem high, but this is a specialized project and with it comes specialized, and more expensive, work.
