Camden County could break ground on its new $11 million governmental office complex before Christmas if all goes according to plan. County Manager Ken Bowman said Thursday that he hopes to solicit proposals from architectural firms for the three-building project in early August. The county then hopes to get architectural drawings completed in time to put the project out for construction bids this fall, he said. Bowman said the complex likely will be built in phases depending on how the bids come in. However, if bids come in low enough — and Bowman hopes they’ll come in below the $11 million rough estimate — the county could proceed with the entire three-building complex during the 2019-20 fiscal year. A description of the complex in the county’s five-year capital improvement program calls it “a one-stop approach to service delivery” that could include offices for the county manager, human resources director, finance officer and tax administrator. The facility also would include space for the county utilities, parks and recreation, and planning and community development departments; the Camden Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension; Soil and Water Conservation Service; and the county library. The capital plan also includes a statement about county officials needing to confer with Camden school officials about “the possible re-purposing of the Camden County High School campus to accommodate elements of the county’s program such as the senior center and parks & recreation.” The county has been setting aside funds for the governmental complex and other capital projects and should have enough for an initial payment on the complex, according to Bowman. County officials still have to discuss financing terms with a lending institution before knowing exactly what the initial payment will be, he added. The county has already purchased a 7.69-acre tract across the road from the current courthouse complex for the first phase of the project, which calls for two buildings totaling roughly 19,000 square feet. Architectural estimates put the cost for the first phase of the complex at $5.6 million and $11.6 million for the entire project. The first phase is envisioned as a library and community building/senior center. Bowman has indicated both figures are estimates and could change depending on the number of responses received when the project is opened for bids. Bowman urged Camden commissioners in April to seek construction bids for the planned public services complex, saying it would help the county get a firmer grip on the project’s cost. From Today
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