County board moves forward on CIP bonding for deferred maintenance, hires architectural firm
The Cook County Board of Commissioners selected BKV Group to create preliminary architectural plans for the proposed Justice Center as part of the Capital Improvement Plan. After interviewing two firms for the job, the County Budget and Facilities Advisory Committee recommended BKV to the board, who supported the choice unanimously at a meeting on Feb. 13.
County Administrator James Joerke said in an interview with WTIP that the company was a good fit because, “They’ve done a lot of work in the state, and, importantly, have done a lot of projects similar in scope and budget to what our project would be.”
BVK is now charged with drafting options for the proposed Justice Center. While funding for construction of the proposed project hinges on whether the state legislature approves Cook County’s bonding application, both Joerke and several commissioners have made the case over the past several months that having preliminary plans in place will strengthen the application to the state.
If the state does not approve the application, the project will return to the board for review.
During a public hearing meeting on Jan. 30 about the county bonding proposal for the CIP, the board opted to separate funding for the initial architectural services for the Justice Center project from the other work that would be covered by the bonding. This bonding proposal is distinct from the application submitted to the state specifically for the Justice Center project. The board voted on the adjusted county CIP bonding proposal in their most recent meeting, passing it unanimously.
According to Bruce Kimmel of Ehlers Public Finance Advisors, the firm employed by the county to develop the bonding proposal, the county can expect to receive the funds raised through the CIP bonding by the end of March. According to Joerke, once those funds are available, the deferred maintenance portion of the CIP can begin, but the timeline for when projects may start depends on both weather conditions and contractor availability.
While the board has selected a firm to provide preliminary architectural services, the other role that the board was soliciting proposals for, construction management, remains open. Joerke said that the county only received one proposal, and has therefore opted to begin planning for some of the larger deferred maintenance projects with the existing county maintenance staff, instead of waiting to fill the construction management position.
Joerke said, “It’s not that we don’t still need construction and project management services. But I don’t want the process to secure those services to delay the implementation, particularly of some of the really big projects in the CIP.”
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with County Administrator James Joerke about the most recent board action regarding the CIP, as well as other agenda items from the Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting on Feb. 13. Audio from the interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski February 15, 2024
