The Clinton Judicial Center’s Project Development Board (PDB) held a special called meeting last Friday morning with six members on hand.
Although the agenda was brief, board members continued to receive more positive news on the forward movement of the project pertaining to both environmental work and the possible time line for actual demolition of the existing buildings where the new Clinton County Justice Center will be constructed.
During the meeting last week, only a couple of items, other than approving minutes, were taken.
On a motion by board member Mike Lawson, they voted to pay a disbursement request to Lynn Imaging and the PDB Secretary.
Following discussions on the environmental and demolition package that has been put together, a motion was made by board member David Williams to move the board’s next regular meeting date, scheduled for November 17–to a special called meeting to be held on December 1.
Both aforesaid motions passed unanimously.
The project is approximately one year behind its expected schedule, due to various delays, primarily in environmental studies and problems locating companies certified that would actually remove the materials from the old buildings, between Cross and Washington Streets, some which contained hazardous materials such as asbestos.
Over the past couple of months, however, progress has been moving forward at a more rapid pace with the PDB board working with AOC (Administrative Office of the Courts) in securing companies to remove the waste materials from the three buildings, as well as a demolition package being put together and ready to advertise once the waste removal process is complete.
Three separate firms were contracted for the waste removal, including the asbestos that was in some of the structures. According to Clinton County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig, who chairs the PDB, they have been informed that process could be completed as early as Wednesday of this week, November 1.
The demolition process of tearing down and removing the existing buildings will have to be advertised prior to a bid being awarded.
If the process moves forward as expected, bids on the demolition phase of the project could be received in November and actually awarded at the Project Development Board’s special meeting.
Judge Craig said on Monday of this week that officials from the AOC indicated they expected to receive several bids on the building demolition project, including possible local contractors.
There is currently no time line on when the actual demolition may begin after the contract is awarded by the local board. However, it is expected it will only take a matter of a few weeks to complete the process.
Unofficial estimates are that the buildings may be demolished and removed by sometime in January of next year.
The next scheduled meeting of the Clinton Judicial Center Project Development Board (PDB) is Friday, December 1, at 8 a.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse and is open to the public.