The Isanti County Sheriff’s Office is counting down the days until renovations begin on its new home.
At the March 2 Isanti County Board meeting, the board heard a presentation from Randy Engel of Buetow II Architects.
Engel was present to get the board up to speed on how the bids are coming in, and what their plan for the building will be. Engel said his goal is to give the sheriff’s office a building that is “up to code, solves the problems and gives the sheriff’s office a place to work.”
Currently sitting at six bids to choose from, the county appears to be on track to do just that. While there will be numerous renovations, Engel reminded the board this already is a “living, breathing building” and the project will be what he describes as “rock bottom.”
Some of the major renovations will be to the ceiling and exterior facing walls of the building. They will be fitted with new eco-friendly insulation that will help the office conserve energy and save money during the cold winter months. The building will also feature new doors, signage, locker room facilities and new interview rooms.
While it may seem like a lot of work, Engel assured the board that it is all needed.
“No one will say ‘we don’t need that’ or ‘that doesn’t look good,’” he said.
The next step is for Engel and his team to conduct background checks on the groups that are currently bidding for the job. Part of this check will be to examine some work they have done in the past, as well as review their preferred builders and subcontractors.
After this process is completed, Engel can make a recommendation on the contractor to be hired.