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Montezuma County Will Cut Courthouse Costs

Montezuma County Website

Construction of the new Montezuma County combined courthouse may begin nearly on schedule, despite cost concerns.

 

 

Owner’s rep Monte Guiles told the county commissioners Monday that it should be possible to keep the original 33,000-square-foot size but there will be a considerable decrease in the contractor’s initial cost estimate. Guiles said he and Jayne’s are “knee-deep in value engineering” – cost-cutting measures such as a cheaper, roof-mounted air-conditioning/heating system and smaller windows. These have cut the ballpark price from $10.8 million to $8.5 million – still $1 million over the budgeted amount. The re-design will require approval from the city of Cortez, but Guiles said he hopes dirt work could begin by early July, with the project finished on schedule in summer 2017.

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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