Clinton County begins work on new Annex Building
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(Pictured L to R) Councilor Todd Corrie, Councilor Carol Price, Commissioner Josh Uitts, Commissioner (President) Jordan Brewer, Councilor (President) Alan Dunn, Commissioner Bert Weaver, Councilor Jeff Chynoweth, Councilor Joe Mink (photo provided)
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(photo provided)
Clinton County officials broke ground this week on a new Annex Building. When complete, the nearly $18 million project will move most county offices to the new building.
Work first began on the project in May to meticulously remove the old Regions Bank property on the corner of Main and Washington streets. The county tapped construction management and development firm Envoy to undergo the demolition, which came with complications.
“The old Regions bank was four buildings cobbled together over the years,” Dale Davis, director of planning at Envoy, said in a news release. “The first three buildings were brought down with earth moving equipment. The fourth building shared a common, load-bearing wall with Arni’s, so we had to take it down by hand. If we pulled on the wrong floor joist, the wall could have gone with it. It was an incredibly tedious and complicated demolition.”
As part of the project, crews are retaining the bank’s original basement walls to ensure the neighboring streets, alley, and parking lots don’t buckle during construction, the county said. Additionally, the new basement will be twice as deep but have a smaller footprint so as not to disturb the neighboring foundation.
The new Annex Building will be three stories tall and encompass nearly 42,000 square feet. The county plans to move all offices that are not related to the courts to the new building, which is slated for completion in late September or early October 2024.
Crews are also planning to begin renovations and upgrades to the nearby county courthouse this fall. The nearly $12 million project will involve repairing masonry, replacing lighting, fixing window trims, repairing the roof, and shoring up woodwork.
“There are only a handful of companies qualified to do this kind of historic work,” said Jordan Brewer, president of the Clinton County Commissioners. “It’s going to be something to watch as the entire courthouse will be covered in scaffolding. But we see this as a generational investment. We want to do it right so future residents can continue to enjoy the building’s grandeur.”
Brewer told Inside INdiana Business the projects are being funded with $5.3 million in cash on hand and a property tax lease rental bond.