The Thurston County Board of Commissioners approved a staff request Tuesday to award a contract for the renovations of the new Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) building, located at 1111 Israel Road SW in Tumwater.
The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Construct Inc., of Tumwater, for a total of $1,609,800. Tony Schall, county capital project manager in the central services department, told the commissioners that the amount was approximately $800,000 below the original approved budgeted amount.
On Sept. 19, the county received four bids to renovate the building.
The work includes, but is not limited to, renovating the current building to include secure evidence storage with a walk-in cooler/freezer, workout area with associated locker rooms, large/dividable training room, secure enter lobby, security film on exterior windows for critical operations, clean and paint exterior sliding, installation of a fence around the parking area, and an emergency generator.
The county purchased the new facility for TCSO in February, with staff calling the move a cost-effective deal. Rick Thomas, capital projects planning manager, told the county commissioners Feb. 5 that the building would not only save the county money upon purchase, but no “major” renovation or “major” capital investments would be required for 10 years.
The four-star, 56,000-square-foot building, which cost the county $14.25 million, was constructed in 2008 and was the county’s top choice out of a list of 10 buildings in the Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater areas chosen by the county’s real estate broker. The county paid just over $250 per square foot.
J.A. Morris Construction LLC, of Olympia; Construction Services Group Inc., of Vancouver; and Good News Group, of Auburn; also submitted bids for the renovation.
The engineering estimate for this project was estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million, according to the county’s call for sealed bids. According to the public works contract, the contractor shall substantially complete all work required under this contract by April 30, 2026, excluding the generator install due to long lead time for delivery.
For more information on the acquisition of the new TCSO building, visit previous Chronicle reporting at https://tinyurl.com/afb6kza5.
