The demolishing process of existing buildings that will make way for a new Clinton County Justice Center will apparently get underway in December, as bids on the project have been opened and one company should be approved by the end of this week.
Following an almost year long delay in the overall Justice Center project, due primarily to environmental issues uncovered several months ago, bids on the demolition of existing buildings–Ferguson Brothers, McWhorter Implement and McWhorter’s Variety Store–were opened at the Clinton County Courthouse last Wednesday morning, November 22.
A total of seven proposals were received from both in and out-of-state firms, with costs ranging from just under $1.7 million down to a couple coming in under $400,000 for the total scope of the work necessary to complete the project’s specifications.
Representatives of the AOC (Administrative Office of the Courts), which is funding the multi-million dollar project, were on hand last week, as well as two local Judicial PDB (Project Development Board) members, Ricky Craig and Jake Staton.
Fiscal Court Magistrate Mickey Riddle and some people representing companies that had submitted bids were also present for the bid opening.
Circuit Clerk Staton said last week the bid opening would make a lot of residents happy and relieved after the long delay, and Judge/Executive Craig was also pleased things had finally progressed to this point in the project phase.
Craig said AOC officials noted that between the bid opening and the PDB’s special meeting later this week, board members could thoroughly review the bids that had been submitted, prior to making a final decision on awarding “the best” bid, noting that sometimes the lowest bid may not be the best.
Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects of Lexington is the architectural firm on the project, while Branscum/Codell will be the construction managers.
The seven bids received on the project (low to high) were as follows:
* Sunesis Environmental, LLC, Fairfield, OH–$362,000;
* Dore & Associates, Bat City, MI–$374,600;
* Green City Demolition, Nicholasville, KY–$417,000;
* Innovative Demolition, Lexington, KY–$435,095;
* Omni Commercial, Lexington, KY–$450,000;
* Luxury Garden Center, Glasgow, KY–$1,390,000;
* Twin States Utilities, Mt. Hermon, KY–$1,690,053.
According to the construction manager’s time table for start and completion the winning contractor will have, the company must begin work by December 4, with final completion by March 8, 2024.
There are several stages for start and completion built into the project, with dates to have each phase of work completed and includes the length of time (days) for each phase of work.
For example, installing perimeter barricade fence, a two-day project, is to be completed by December 7; structure demo (30 days) by January 25; topsoil and seeding (five days) by March 4, etc. up to the final architect punch list and final completion dates tentatively listed for March 7 and 8, 2024.
When the demolition of the existing buildings, located on the north side of Albany between Cross and Washington Streets, is complete, the project will continue to move closer to actual bidding for the new two-story facility construction, which at last estimate, should be completed and ready for occupancy by 2027.
The Judicial Center Project Development Board (PDB) is scheduled to hold a special called meeting this Friday, December 1, at 8 a.m., at which time they are expected to approve a company to do the demolition work.
The meeting will be held in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse and is open to the public.

Bill Cobb, right, of Codell Construction, in a joint partnership with Branscum Construction, opened and read the bids to several people in the courtroom last Wednesday for the Judicial Center Project. There were seven sealed bids total received and are listed below in the continuation of the front page article.