The Peoria County Board is investing more than a $1 million into the courthouse to bring the aging facility back up to spec.
That includes $105,000 to remodel the circuit clerk's office, $114,7000 for new steps on the courthouse plaza, and a little more than $937,000 to replace the roofs of the Main and Hamilton Street courthouse wings.
Work also is wrapping up on the public defender's and information technology offices.
"With the money that we have received from ARPA, and the money that the county board has allocated, we're really trying to make improvements to facilities that, quite frankly, are been aging and need some upgrades, but we haven't had the money to do it," said Peoria County Board chairman Jimmy Dillon.
A combination of American Rescue Plan Act dollars and increased public facilities sales tax receipts since the pandemic have created a pool of money for the county to tap for infrastructure improvements.
The county has hired R.J. Unes as an independent contractor to manage the county's capital improvement projects through 2026, at an annual cost of up to $100,000. The county's facilities manager was let go during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dillon said bids also are out for new roofs and some concrete and mechanical infrastructure at the Peoria County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center, but the facility has a longer list of immediate maintenance needs.
"The county board and the sheriff's team have really going to take a hard deep dive, look at the jail, and see what improvements can be made there," he said, comparing the county's facilities priorities to keeping a house in shape — with needs coming before wants.
"A lot of the prioritizing is, you know, facilities are aging, some of the mechanical systems and the roof systems are any ending their lifecycle. So, those become priorities over necessarily new paint and an entrance way," he said.
