$5.1 million price tag on Kane County Sheriff's office

Constructing the interior space at the new Kane County Sheriff's Office at the jail under construction in St. Charles Township will cost $5.1 million, Kane County Board members learned at Wednesday's committee of the whole meeting.

If the bid is accepted by the board next month, the new sheriff's headquarters would open at about the same time the jail opens in the late summer or early fall of 2008. Existing funds will be used to pay for the project.

A year ago, the board authorized construction of a so-called shell space -- essentially a vacant room enclosed by four walls and a ceiling -- at the new jail for $4.7 million. Board members wanted more time to evaluate the project's build-out cost and timeline.

The build-out consists of dividing the empty space into different areas -- a lobby, visiting area, interview rooms, records area, administration office, locker room, evidence room -- and finishing the space with furniture and equipment.

In February the board approved a five-year capital improvement program and budget that included $5.1 million to build out the office. At that time the board also approved a $225,000 contract with the jail's architect for drawings of the proposed space.

Officials on Monday opened three bids for the project. The lowest was submitted by Lamp Inc., one of the contractors on the jail construction project.

Both the jail and sheriff's office will move from their current location at 777 E. Fabyan Parkway in Geneva to 37W777 Route 38 in St. Charles Township, next to the judicial center. The new sheriff's office would be built on the second floor of the new jail.

The sheriff's office relocation costs are in addition to the jail's $55.8 million construction cost.

"We're going to come in right on budget," Tim Harbaugh, the county's director of environmental management, told board members.