Kendall County ready to start construction on downtown Yorkville campus expansion in mid-July

YORKVILLE – Construction of a new building for the Kendall County Clerk, Recorder and Elections offices is expected to get underway in mid-July, as part of a major expansion of the county’s downtown Yorkville campus.

The Kendall County Board approved slightly more than $9.4 million in construction bids, about $645,000 below the $10 million budget and engineers’ estimates, at its June 27 meeting.

With demolition of the annex building at 105 W. Fox St. now complete, the stage is set for excavation and grading to get underway for the ambitious project.

The centerpiece of the plan is the new office building for the clerk, recorder and elections offices, to be constructed between the historic Kendall County Courthouse and the Kendall County Office Building. The new structure will overlook South Bridge Street (Route 47).

Much of the main floor, which covers about 14,000 square feet, will provide space for the county clerk’s elections office, along with the clerk and recorder functions. The 4,500-square-foot lower level with outdoor access to the east on the sloping property will be used for storage, particularly election equipment.

By far the biggest contract goes to Lite Construction of Montgomery, at $2.1 million for general trades.

County Board Facilities Management Committee Chairman Brian DeBolt said the $9.4 million figure includes a $510,000 contingency in case excavation work turns up something unexpected, along with $450,000 to furnish the new building.

The total also includes $642,137 for architectural and engineering services from Cordogan Clark & Associates of Aurora and the $55,000 contract with Elgin-based Fowler Enterprises to demolish the annex building.

The project is being paid for from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Bids for the project approved by the county board include $425,000 to Plainfield Excavating for excavation of the site, $783,400 to Premium Concrete for the building concrete and $398,500 to Abbey Paving for asphalt and site concrete.

Also approved was $573,000 to Jimmy’z Masonry for the brick work, $123,000 to Filotto Roofing for the building roof and $48,700 to Nedrow Painting to paint the building.

The board further approved contracts of $225,385 with TSI Commercial Flooring for the building floors, $100,950 with CL Doucette for the fire protection system and $142,500 with Omega Plumbing for the plumbing work.

Also approved was $400,000 to Premier Mechanical for the building’s mechanical systems, $942,000 to CSN Electric for the building’s electrical system and $84,700 to Twin Oaks Landscaping for site landscaping.

Finally, the board approved a contract of $92,693 with Otis Elevator for an elevator in the two-level building, while also setting aside $60,000 for a future building automation system.

DeBolt said construction of the new building is expected to take about a year.

A parking lot, with access from South Main Street, forms the western boundary of the county office campus. The lot will be expanded and reconfigured, along with walkways connecting all of the county buildings.