On Nov.10, the Boundary County commissioners approved a $3.76 million bid from B.F. Builders to renovate the old Safeway building to build a new county building, which will house new courtrooms, as well as offices for the county prosecutor and clerks.

Eight companies submitted bids for the project. B.F. Builders, a Bonners Ferry-based building company, offered the lowest bid. The highest bid was around $4.5 million.      

Vacant since 2017, the building was purchased by the county in February 2024 for $700,000. 

Boundary County officials said the county received eight bids for the project, with BF Builders offering the lowest bid.  

Boundary County Commissioner Ben Robertson said the renovation will be funded through the county’s capital improvement budget and the federal Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. 

“Money for capital improvements has to be used for capital improvements,” Robertson said. 

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Boundary County received $1,528,353.56 in both 2022 and 2023 from LATCF, a general revenue enhancement program that provides assistance to eligible revenue sharing counties, which Boundary County qualifies for. 

Cory Trapp of Longwell Trapp Architects told commissioners that the project could begin as soon as next month. 

“Right now, I would probably tell you the first of December, it’ll probably start,” Trapp said. “We’re thinking we’ll be done around the end of September.”  

Most of the subcontractors on the project are based in Idaho.    

Currently, no furniture will be moved from the existing courtrooms at the top level of the courthouse, meaning that new furnishings will need to be installed.

“The pews for courtrooms are in the bid; the seats for jury boxes are in the bid,” Trapp said. “I don’t have any chairs or desks anywhere. I don’t have tables for attorneys.”  

Trapp said other furniture such as benches for judges and court recorders' desks are in the bid.

The county will also have to pay the city of Bonners Ferry more than $17,000 in application fees for the project.