By Christine Haines
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The Washington County Commissioners are looking for the most economical option for office space for the future, which could mean buying the building across the street.
The commissioners had sought bids for repairs and upgrades to the garage and offices at Courthouse Square in the City of Washington, with the low bids coming in at nearly $14 million.
According to Diana Irey Vaughan, chair of the commissioners, the low bidder for the garage repairs came in at $10.9 million. The garage holds 310 vehicles.
At present, 52 of those spaces are covered by what Washington County Building and Grounds Director Justin Welsh calls shelter units — panels suspended on wooden frames to keep chemical-laden water from dripping onto vehicles. Welsh said the water leaves a residue on vehicles that is very difficult to remove.
Areas on the floor of the garage where the water has dripped resembled the beginning of stalagmite formations where the residue has built up. There are numerous areas of crumbled concrete on the ceiling and places where the reinforcing rods are exposed, rusted or partially missing.
A stairwell door had to be removed because it no longer closed due to the pyrite damage. Sections of glass near the elevators on the D-level of the garage had to be removed out of fear they would shatter as the concrete floor swells upward because of the pyrite under the garage.
There are places where the garage floor is nine inches higher than it ought to be, meaning low clearance and places vehicles can no longer maneuver.
During a media tour Wednesday, Commissioner Nick Sherman said his own parking space is inaccessible to him because his vehicle won’t clear the ceiling to get out of the garage. The problem goes beyond parking issues.
“This is not just a parking garage. It is the foundation of this building with seven floors on top of it with hundreds of people working here,” Sherman said.
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