ÈËÊÞÐÔ½»

Colliers Engineering & Design, formerly Bergmann Associates, presented its findings at a special county Legislature meeting Tuesday. After detailing its process, which included 52 meetings over the past 18 months, the firm's representatives recommended a $52.3 million project to renovate the existing six-story building and construct a three-story addition to house more county agencies. 

Legislators did not vote on whether to accept the recommendation or select another option. Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman deemed it an information-gathering meeting and that no formal action would be taken. 

Before issuing its report, Colliers conducted a thorough analysis of the county office building, which was built in 1966. What the firm found is a building in rough shape, as evidenced by the damage to the roof in a January windstorm. 

"Buildings are living tools and in the case of this building, that really needs to be sharpened," said Marie Carone, an architect with Colliers. 

In its study, Colliers found outdated mechanical systems, inefficient light fixtures and conditions that affect building security, namely the "unclear delineation of public spaces." 

For employees within the structure, space is insufficient and some departments have been displaced to outside facilities. One example is the county Office for the Aging, which is housed in the Boyle Center. 

Working with the county building committee, Colliers considered six options, including constructing a new office building or relocating to another facility. What they settled on were three options, all involving building renovations. 

Two of the options are similar, with renovations to the existing structure. But one of the alternatives would require the county's emergency management office and 911 backup to be moved offsite. 

The third option — Colliers' recommendation — includes renovations to the existing building and a three-story addition. The expansion would allow for more county departments, such as the Office for the Aging, to be located on the same campus. 

Barton & Loguidice, a Syracuse-area firm, made a similar proposal when it shared its assessment with the county in 2022. 

The price tags vary for each option, with the cheapest being $44.2 million for renovations and moving the emergency management office and 911 backup to another location. The recommended option would cost $52.3 million, with $26 million for renovations, $8.7 million for the addition, $600,000 for site work and nearly $17 million for contingencies and soft costs. There would be an additional $2.5 million to $5 million for relocating the 911 backup and other essential services. 

"We're here because the building has a need for safety, security and efficiency," said Liz D'Amore, an architect with Colliers. "The building is a tool to deliver the services to the community ... We want the building to last another 50 years. The existing conditions hinder success for Cayuga County." 

Colliers provided a timeline for the next steps. It would take months to issue a request for proposals, select a design team, complete bid documents and select a contractor. The construction phase would be a minimum of two years. 

Before that work can begin, the county Legislature must make a decision.

"This is something that's been talked about for many years," McNabb-Coleman said. "We've pulled the trigger insofar as we've come all this distance now, so it is really incumbent on us to suss out all this information and come to some sort of agreement we all feel good about and chart a path forward."