A demolition/construction plan has left the Cole County Commission between a proverbial rock and hard place.
The dilemma occurs because commissioners have been advised they cannot accomplish what they want within the price they want to pay.
Our readers will recall the the county's three-member governing body voted to demolish the vacated old jail and sheriff's house adjacent to the Cole County Courthouse.
Demolition was their preferred option when they learned the existing shell could not accommodate a large courtroom, a project favored by circuit judges.
In addition, a priority among commissioners has been to relocate two county offices - assessor and public defender - from the Carnegie Building. The commission hopes to rid itself of the building they say needs additional repairs and is not conducive to county offices.
The vision for the new structure is a four-story construction (three floors on the existing footing) which would accommodate the large courtroom and relocated offices at a cost not to exceed $2.5 million.
The vision appears unrealistic.
Although the existing footing could support two additional floors, architects say a reinforced footing would be required to support the desired three additional floors. And the estimated cost for that option is estimated between $3.1 million and $3.4 million.
Commissioners now must decide whether to spend more, reduce the project scope or scrap the plan entirely.
The plan to raze the old jail and sheriff's house has met with some opposition, notably from historic preservationists. We aligned ourselves with preservationists, not only because of the historic considerations, but because a master plan is needed to end the wasteful shuffling of county offices.
County government, confined to the courthouse less than 40 years ago, now sprawls among a four-building downtown campus that includes the courthouse, annex, Carnegie building and news sheriff's department and jail.
The newest proposed addition has created the dilemma of choosing between a costlier option or an incomplete one. This dilemma provides an excellent opportunity for the county commission to rethink this project.