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Kankakee County is taking the next step in the ongoing renovation of its historic courthouse.
County officials recently met with four construction management firms to select one to oversee the $6 million capital improvements project, and they decided to go with BEAR Construction of Rolling Meadows.
County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand said BEAR “blew us out of the water” at Thursday’s Highways, Waterways & Buildings committee meeting.
“They came prepared. They came with a budget,” he said. “I have nothing bad to say about the other contractors. I think they’re all capable of doing the work. I was just very impressed with their preparation and how they came to the table.
“They have invested in this community. They have a location in Bradley. They have done work at PNC before, CSL Behring, Riverside, KCC, so they are investing in this town, and I think it keeps the competitiveness alive by not just going with one company all the time.”
The other management companies officials met with were Wight & Company, of Darien; Johnson-Downs, of Kankakee; and PSI Construction, of Kankakee.
BEAR’s management fee of 2.5% was also the lowest of the four, which helped officials make the decision. The committee OK’d a resolution for the chairman to sign an agreement with BEAR. It will get final approval at the next full board meeting on July 8.
“They’ve done a lot of historical buildings,” Alexander-Hildebrand said of BEAR. “I think the courthouse is our treasure here at the county, and I think it’s a historical asset we need to keep into place.”
In the past few years, the jury room in the basement was renovated, and ADA-compliant upgrades were completed. Construction of the current courthouse was completed in 1912.
The county was awarded a $6 million appropriation from the state of Illinois through Gov. JB Pritzker’s office to pay for the project.
County Program Manager Eric Cavendar said they worked with Chief Judge Thomas Cunnington, Circuit Clerk Sandy Cianci, State’s Attorney Jim Rowe and Sheriff Mike Downey to get feedback on their needs. The county’s architect Doug Bright was also part of the process.
The county did onsite walk-throughs in early June with all four companies. Cavendar said the county has spent more than 100 hours in the process.
“This decision was based on our experience during the walk-throughs, the facts and data provided during the interview, the services BEAR can provide, prior work experiences and the level of detail that they have prepared for us to review,” Cavendar said.
What the work will entail
Alexander-Hildebrand said the main concerns that will be addressed with the courthouse is the elevator, a generator and HVAC improvements, as well as possibly adding another courtroom. There are 10 judges in the courthouse and only nine courtrooms.
He said there’s not a lot of space in the building to add another courtroom, but they will look at all the options. The courthouse can’t be expanded because of its historical value.
“It’s needed,” Alexander-Hildebrand said. “We have a very old courthouse, and there’s limited space. Every nook and cranny of this place has been utilized.”
In addition, some areas will receive upgrades to restrooms, carpeting, painting and smaller items.
“The courthouse is a gem in our community,” Cavendar said. “We want to make sure this once in a 30-,40-, 50-year project is done right and done efficiently.”
Timeline
In March of 2024, then Board Chairman Andy Wheeler unveiled a plan to purchase the former Daily Journal building at 8 Dearborn Square in Kankakee with the $6 million for renovation that would’ve included a courtroom and several offices. When the county looked at that proposal further, it wasn’t feasible.
“We kind of scrapped that idea,” Alexander-Hildebrand said. “I don’t think the $6 million would have gotten us that far and completed the project. And it’s my intention to not put this out for a bond or have an additional cost over the $6 million. The direction I saw it going if we invested in the Daily Journal building, was much over $6 million.”
Cavendar said BEAR intends to have the bids sent out in August or September, and construction would begin around Dec. 1. BEAR estimates the entire project would take 14 months to complete.
“The reason we’re starting it in December is because there’s a period of time in the courthouse where there’s a shutdown, so we want them to get in there and get as much work done as possible,” Alexander-Hildebrand said. “When they have the opportunity to do that without disrupting the public, that was our [plan]. Then there’s also a trial that’s going on that we don’t want to disrupt, so December just happened to be the best timeline for us to start.”