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ST. JOSEPH — Berrien County Commissioners got an update Thursday on the county’s 500 Circle project in Buchanan. The county bought the former American Electric Power office building in 2022 with the goal of moving 9-1-1 and other county departments there.

The county plans to move the 9-1-1 Dispatch/Emergency Operations Center offices to the 500 Circle building initially, with other departments utilizing the space later including a south county branch of the County Clerk’s office.

     Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Captain Rockey Adams reported on the county’s request for qualifications to companies interested in renovating the three-story building.

An initial evaluation of the three-story building space earlier this year showed that existing bathrooms, elevator layout, and building access/approaches needed redesign.  There was also an investigation relative to the operational needs of the county departments moving to the space.

     Adams said the county put out requests for bids in May and then received bids in July. A committee of county officials including four county commissioners went over the bids, toured other facilities renovated by the bidders in Lake County, Indiana and in Grand Rapids and checked references.

     He said the committee members ranked the proposals and had one company, Wold Architects & Engineers, that stood out as having the most qualifications and experience to do the job.

     “The other firms were excellent, Wold has the experience with 9-1-1 centers,” he said. “They also emphasized the time they spent on planning and risk assessment.”

     Adams and County Administrator Brian Dissette said the proposed contract with Wold will go to the county board’s administration committee for their review and then on to the full county board for action. The bid Wold submitted totaled over $847,000 for three phases of work through construction.

     The timeline the company proposed has work starting this fall and going through at least the first half of next year, he said.

     The county is getting a $3 million federal grant to fund the renovations. That grant is coming from funding secured through U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg’s office. The county has to spend the grant monies by June, 2027.

     Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit told commissioners that the county ahs worked with Wold before. He noted that they conducted an earlier jail study for the sheriff’s department and may be asked to conduct a new one that has been ordered.

     Also Thursday, Berrien County Treasurer Shelly Weich reported on the recent tax foreclosure property auction. The county moved to an online auction during the pandemic and has stayed with that process since then, contracting with a private company to conduct it.

     She said 119 properties in the county were ordered foreclosed for nonpayment of back taxes and 93 parcels went to auction. The rest will be offered again in a second online auction later this fall.