Story

The Ottawa County Human Services building was renovated and expanded, adding a new courtroom, magistrate area and offices. The Health Department and Mental Health facilities were also renovated.

The new addition was constructed as a secure building requiring card access to enter exterior doors. An internal computer system monitors the status of items such as open doors within the facility. The courtroom and front reception area are enclosed with bulletproof drywall. The holding cells were constructed with secure materials including detention doors and glass, security caulk and masonry walls.

The project was completed in three phases to allow the court to maintain daily operations. Because construction noise was a concern, Triangle planned around the court’s schedule and performed noisy work, such as demolition, in the early morning or at night. Proper planning and communication made this project a success.

The project manager was closely involved in the project during the design and pre-construction phases of the project. During the renovation process, black mold was discovered inside an existing exterior wall. In some cases the mold spanned 6 feet tall, reaching into the bulkheads. Mold was also found in a few of the interior walls from sweating PVC pipes. Triangle completed the mold remediation and replaced the contaminated materials, which solved the mold issue within the building.

Construction support was utilized to keep the job site clean and barricades were set up for the safety of staff and the public visiting the building.