Contact:
Joi Bergman
Communications Director
(319) 892-5118
joi.bergman@linncounty.org

Linn County to Conduct Feasibility Study of Linn County West

(CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – August 27, 2009) — The Linn County Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to conduct a feasibility study of Linn County West, located at Westdale Mall in the former Steve & Barry’s building. The study will look at a variety of factors help determine whether the building is a viable option for a permanent location for Linn County government. The study will also look at what it would cost to convert the building into permanent office space.

Among the factors to be studied are the life-cycle cost of the building, annual operating costs, how the County could provide continuous operation for the public if the building were under construction and how to address the excess space in the building after Linn County Community Services, now on the second floor of Linn County West, moves into its new location off 12th St. SW.

“We have not ruled out returning to the Administrative Office Building, but we all agreed that we should conduct a feasibility study of Linn County West to see if it might be a sustainable location that makes sense for the taxpayers in the long-run,” said Linn County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Lu Barron.

The County will request quotes to conduct the study from local architectural and engineering firms.

In February, the Board of Supervisors voted to return to the Administrative Office Building at 930 1st St. SW in Cedar Rapids. The County has been working with Novak Design on reconstruction plans to renovate and expand the AOB to better serve the public and lower operating costs by rebuilding with energy efficient technology. These renovation plans were subject to available funding. Yesterday, the I-JOBS review board deferred recommending funding for the County’s I-JOBS grant application that requested $8.8 million for the $11.7 million renovation and improvement project.

“The AOB application received the second highest score of all applications submitted to I-JOBS statewide,” said Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers who helped write the AOB grant application for I-JOBS. “However, it was one of 36 projects deferred by the review board. The AOB will be eligible for funding if a second round of I-JOBS funding becomes available.”

Linn County will conduct a public input process on both the feasibility study of Linn County West and the Administrative Office Building.