County plans roof repairs on six buildings

Lake County officials plan to spend more than $800,000 to fix damaged roofs at the local juvenile justice center, the coroner's office and other governmental buildings.

The repairs were commissioned before the Aug. 23 fire at the juvenile center near Vernon Hills, which started when lighting struck the roof of a building there, said Gary Gordon, the county's finance and administration director. Those repairs are under way as a separate project, he said.

The county board on Tuesday is expected to approve a contract with the National Roofing Corp. for work at six sites. The Forest Park firm will be paid $856,300 for the job.

The buildings included in the contract are:

• The juvenile justice center.

• The coroner's office in Waukegan.

• The county government center in Waukegan.

• The transportation department in Libertyville.

• The public works department in Libertyville.

• The communications center in Libertyville.

In all, 17 sections of roof will be repaired, officials said.

The work should not affect public business, Gordon said.

The repairs could begin this month and should be completed by the end of the year or early 2008, Gordon said.

Two other firms submitted bids for the job.

One offer, from a Glenview company, was less expensive but included only some of the projects on the county's wish list, so it was disregarded, Gordon said. The other offer, from an Arlington Heights firm, was more costly.

Tuesday's county board meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the government center, 18 N. County St.