Lyon County board delays Annex building project

Dale Woudstra from Engineering Design Associates in Sioux Center and Jordan Metzger from Stone Group Architects in Sioux Falls, SD, present a report on the Lyon County Annex Building to the board of supervisors Tuesday. The two options, either demolition or rebuild, are estimated to cost over $2 million, putting the long discussed project at risk.

ROCK RAPIDS—After expressing concerns regarding project costs, the Lyon County Board of Supervisors tabled the Annex Building reconstruction decision until its next meeting.

This pushes back a project that already was on a tight schedule. To use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, money needs to be allocated to the project by the end of 2024 and fully spent by December 2026. The Annex Building, located in downtown Rock Rapids, currently houses county public health and engineer’s offices.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Jordan Metzger from Stone Group Architects in Sioux Falls, SD, and Dale Woudstra from Engineering Design Associates in Sioux Center presented two options for the building: remodel or demolition and rebuild. Both plans came in well over what the supervisors hoped with an estimated cost of over $2 million.

The board chose to hold off on deciding until its Sept. 12 meeting to explore other options.

Supervisor Steve Herman was the first to suggest an alternative route. He proposed purchasing a newer building in Rock Rapids to cut down on remodeling costs. He recommended the other half of the Lyon County Chiropractic building on 909 S. Union St., owned by Cody Hoefert.

While this plan could reduce costs, there are drawbacks. The county still would need to hire an architect for the remodel and the portion of the building on Union Street is significantly smaller than the Annex Building, with the available section of the building at around 2,000 square feet.

The new build plan from Stone Group Architects includes 6,000 square feet for public health and a 2,000-square-foot addition for the engineering department. Herman and supervisor Cory Altena thought this size was excessive for its usage.

But as the board explores different possibilities, the clock is ticking on the 60-year-old Annex Building.

The structure needs a new ramp, handrail and elevator lift to meet requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Years of wear and tear require a complete roof replacement. Woudstra told the board the structure has severe heating and cooling issues and a “tired mechanical system.”

Woudstra and Metzger also expressed concern about asbestos in the building. If the board decides to remodel, an expert will be hired to evaluate any potential exposure and damage.

“It’s time to answer the question,” Woudstra said.

In Stone Group Architects’ cost estimates, the renovation ended up being the more expensive option of the two, at $2,313,630 including contingencies. The new build was estimated to cost $2,284,332 with $80,000 slotted in for the demolition.

Metzger explained prices come from inflation and the growing cost of construction, but the overall cost will change when final decisions are made.

“This is just the start,” Metzger said. “This is not, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ Keep that in mind, whether it’s a renovation or a brand-new one.”

Few formal motions were made at Tuesday’s meeting, although the board did approve amending a lease change notification for a five-acre parcel of land in west Lyon County after receiving counsel from county attorney Amy Oetken.

The county closed the purchase on Aug. 11, adding more farmland property to the gravel pit area it already owned on the parcel.

Oetken suggested not terminating the lease on the farmland and continuing the contract through 2024. She is afraid of legal issues if one section of the parcel went out for bidding.

“I understand that all people in the community want an opportunity to bid on that. I absolutely get that, and we want to give them that opportunity,” Oetken said. “I just don’t want us to run the risk of a lawsuit because there’s this lease out there on the piece of property that we purchased, and that lease said that it does bind the aside on that piece.”

Honoring the current lease through 2024 also allows the county to put the entire property up for bid at the same time.

ROCK RAPIDS—The Lyon County Board of Supervisors debated how to advance the planning stage of its long-awaited Annex Building project Tuesday,…

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