Will County Board Fast Tracks Major Capital Projects

Submitted by Mack Communications

The Will County Board Thursday, June 18, approved entering into negotiations for the development of design and engineering plans for the construction of a new law enforcement facility at the current Laraway Road Sheriff Complex. A preliminary timetable calls for breaking ground in the spring and completion by December 2016. Board members would also like to see work begin on a new courthouse by spring of 2017.

“This is a very aggressive but necessary schedule to get these vital capital projects done,” said Speaker Jim Moustis. “We have spent many years planning and preparing for this day, and now is the time for action. The longer we wait to build a new sheriff’s facility and courthouse, the more costly and difficult it becomes to complete, not to mention having to face significant public safety issues. I applaud everyone that has worked hard to keep these initiatives moving forward.”

A site analysis and programming were recently completed for the Laraway Road Complex, with the Will County Public Building Commission overseeing and managing the project. The Board’s action today now gives them the direction to enter the next phase of design and engineering. An RFQ is then expected to go out this summer for a construction manager that will continue to move the project towards completion.

“We hope to approve the design of the new sheriff’s complex by September and go through a competitive bidding process for the construction phase this fall,” said Ragan Freitag (R-Wilmington), chair of the capital improvement’s committee. “If all goes to plan, Will County will have a new law enforcement facility by the end of next year. The rubber is absolutely hitting the road now for our major capital projects.”

As part of the project, the Sheriff’s Laraway Road campus will see new evidence storage and training buildings as well as a new administration building with space to consolidate public safety offices, such as the Coroner’s Office and Emergency Management services. Currently, there is a need for a central location for these functions that are now spread throughout the county.

For a new courthouse and judicial complex, a preliminary study done by the county proposed a 400,000-square-foot facility with 42 courtrooms. Will County has 36 judges who handle 80,000 cases annually. The proposed judicial complex will house judges and numerous other departments including court clerk, state’s attorney, public defender, court administration, jury commission, court reporters, and the probation department.

“Market timing is certainly one reason for getting these projects underway sooner rather than later,” said Mike Fricilone, chair of the finance committee. “We want to take advantage of the historically low interest rates and bonding costs to save taxpayers as much money as possible.”