ONLY ONLINE: Bonding issue over new justice center being worked out in Frankfort

A week from now, officials with the Whitley County Project Development Board will have a pretty good idea about exactly what the new justice center is going to cost.

Construction bids are slated to be opened next Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Whitley Circuit Courtroom.

The price of the base bids could determine whether the new building is equipped with a geothermal system and water fountain in front, which are being bid as alternates for the $18.9 million project.

Gary Tabor Construction out of London is expected to wrap up demolition work later this summer on the old city hall block where the new center will be built.

Construction on the new building is tentatively slated to begin in August.

The Whitley County Project Development Board, which is overseeing the local project, met last Wednesday to discuss the issue of the performance bond that Codell Construction, the construction manager on the project, is required to post.

"There have been many reports of issues with bonding on judicial center construction statewide," Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. said Monday afternoon.

"The meeting was to clarify how these issues would affect our particular project; however, many of the issues discussed at the meeting will not be resolved until the construction manager and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) mediate the bonding issue on June 23, 2009."

Circuit Court Clerk Gary Barton said late Tuesday afternoon that he hadn’t received word yet about the outcome of the mediation hearing. It’s not clear what impact, if any, that the result of the hearing will have on the start of construction.
Codell is the construction manager on several courthouse projects across Kentucky.