The Conroe City Council approved a slight increase in the construction costs for the new police and municipal court building, but city officials said it won’t affect the bottom line. The original cost for construction of the new 76,000-square-foot facility was $20,309,000. However, the city budgeted about $25 million in its fiscal year 2013-14 Capital Improvement Program to include fees, furniture, fixtures and to ensure there were contingency funds. According to Conroe Assistant Chief Jeff Christy, the construction cost has jumped slightly to $20,909,000.

“The reason for the increase is the underground detention and the geothermal HVAC system we are installing in the building for energy efficiency,” Christy said.

David Rowe, CEO with Houston-based Durotech, said the system will save the city money in the long run. “The payback on that is six years,” he said adding over 40 years, the city will save about $4 million in heating and cooling costs.
Despite the slight increase, council members were focused on who Durotech, the general contractor for the project, would be subcontracting services to. Mayor Webb Melder and Councilman Duke Coon both asked Rowe if he was planning to work with local contractors.

“The fact that they are from the area or surrounding area will be discussed as part of the grading process,” Rowe said. Durotech officials, Rowe said, would compile bid specs for the project that will be shared with the design team from Houston-based PGAL for recommendations and then brought to the council.

The facility would be located north of downtown at Plantation Drive and Drennan Road. According to Police Chief Philip Dupuis, the city owns the 11-acre tract where the building would be located. Dupuis said the new facility would meet the current needs of the department and accommodate it for future growth. The existing facility spans only 40,000 square feet. Completion date for the new facility is scheduled for January 2016.