COEUR d’ALENE — Construction of the Kootenai County Justice Building expansion could begin as early as September, with an estimated completion date in spring 2025.

The 60,000-square-foot expansion will add three courtrooms and facilities for the Sheriff’s Office, district court employees, prosecutors and other county staff. Initial designs were created to meet the needs of the county and account for some future growth.

The county is expected to pay the difference between the $24 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated to the project and the final cost, which commissioners aim to keep at $35 million or less.

“I would like to start digging up dirt as soon as possible, as soon as we can guarantee we can afford it,” Commissioner Leslie Duncan said last Thursday, when commissioners met with Bouten Construction to discuss progress on the expansion.

Commissioner Bruce Mattare expressed some reservations about the project’s timeline and price tag.

“Once we start breaking ground, there’s no going back,” Mattare said. “I appreciate how it can save money because you can get these things rolling quicker, but my concern is the fact that we’ve had this number and it’s just ratcheting up.”

Scott McGlocklin of Bouten Construction proposed breaking the project into three phases, each with a known value.

The first phase would involve foundation excavation, relocation of utilities and other site preparation and would begin in September.

“It’s a good time to start moving dirt,” McGlocklin said. “We’re kind of getting into the winter but it allows us the opportunity to get started this year.”

In October, the next phase would involve concrete foundations, walls and structural steel. The final construction phase would start in early 2024.

McGlocklin also updated commissioners on efforts to reduce the project’s costs.

The simplest way to do so is to reduce the building’s square footage, but after meeting with stakeholders from county departments who will use the building, McGlocklin said significantly shrinking the building’s footprint will also reduce its functionality.

Using prefabricated components to cut costs is also a challenge, McGlocklin said, because the different departments have different structural needs. For example, the building’s lowest level will have holding cells, while the next floor will have courtrooms. Each floor requires a different structural thickness.

Commissioners are expected to revisit the project again in June.