Buena Vista County is moving ahead with a courthouse restoration project this fall after a bidding process that took months and saw the price move up, then back down.
The county board of supervisors voted Tuesday to award a $125,000 restoration contract to McGill Restoration, an Omaha-based masonry restoration and concrete repair firm. Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Joe Keller told supervisors he’s been working on the effort since last September, and he said getting to a final bid required a lot of back and forth to pin down what the job would include.
According to Keller, McGill’s first estimate for the work was $113,500. A second estimate later jumped to $146,000. After Keller clarified the scope, the company ultimately submitted a final bid of $125,000, which was lower than the second figure but higher than the original estimate.
One of the biggest cost drivers was the need to redo all of the courthouse’s mortar joints. Keller said the joints are more than five decades old, making the work more than a simple patch job. Repointing and joint replacement can be time-consuming, and on historic public buildings, the details matter because crews have to match existing conditions and avoid damage to the surrounding masonry.
Keller said the county looked into other contractors, but those options fell through and no other bids were submitted. He also noted McGill has handled several past restoration cycles on the courthouse and understands the building’s quirks, including how to avoid problems tied to a lawsuit from years ago.
The project will be funded through the county’s capital loan program. Keller said he budgeted about $110,000 and plans to use remaining funds from the 2026 capital projects loan to cover the difference.
Read the full, original article from Storm Lake Radio here.