Published: July 02, 2008 09:37 pm            

Commissioners zero in on study firm

Group chosen will examine county’s facilities needs around courthouse square

Nothing is chiseled in stone yet, but the Henderson County Commissioners Court is leaning toward Brinkley Sargent as the firm to do its long-range facilities study.

Commissioners will place an item on the July 8 agenda worded to allow the court to negotiate with Brinkley Sargent in hopes of coming to an agreement concerning the price of the study. If no agreement can be reached, commissioners still have the option of going with another firm.

“It’s not a done deal — yet,” Holstein said.

Commissioners met Wednesday in the last of a series of workshops reviewing applicants for the facilities study contract. The study aims to determine ways the county can remedy its need for future office and storage space while providing a catalyst for economic growth in the downtown Athens area.

On June 27, representatives of five companies chosen from a pool of 12 applicants were called to the courthouse for interviews. Wednesday, commissioners reviewed the presentations and revealed their preferences.

Most commissioners had Brinkley Sargent, PBS&J and Luhn Spear somewhere near the top.

“Those were my top three and Brinkley and PBS&J were my top two,” Henderson County Judge David Holstein said.

The Ginger Murchison Foundation will pay up to $100,000 toward the facilities study with the stipulation that it be complete by Dec. 31 of this year. Commissioners don’t know how much the study will cost because most of the proposals came from architectural firms which did not submit any cost information with the proposals. Holstein said he does not know what Brinkley Sargent would charge, but believes they would be in the $100,000 “ballpark.”

Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Hall said each of the firms had its strengths.

“We might just have to get a coin and start flipping it,” Hall said.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence said ultimately, after all the studies, there’s still a lot of guesswork involved.

“It’s like hiring an insurance company. You really don’t know how good they are until you need them, until you file a claim,” Lawrence said.

Brinkley Sargent lists several major Texas projects in its portfolio. Works in progress include the McKinney City Hall study and design and the Mesquite Police Department Complex. PBS&J is based in Austin and has worked on the public library in Georgetown and the post office in Fredericksburg.

Morgan Spear Associates listed projects such as the Texas Farm Bureau building in Robstown and an elementary school for the Refugio Independent School District. A drawback, according to commissioners, was its Houston location.

        

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