By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
EL RENO – An architectural firm will be paid a $260,300 fee to help determine the scope and location of Canadian County’s future courthouse complex.
MA+ Architecture was hired in April to prepare design plans for a new Canadian County courthouse/administration building that would house all judicial and most county government offices.
During the “programming” phase, the architect team will interview representatives of all Canadian County offices and divisions.
This interactive process will take 90-120 days, according to construction manager Stan Lingo.
“Out of that will come a budget,” Lingo said. “The deliverable will be a program which defines each space, and the area’s needs. There’ll also be a schedule for the project that comes out of this.”
Canadian County commissioners must approve the program before the design phase begins.
“That will set the size and scale of the courthouse project,” Lingo said, “and probably determine the location.
“Then we would negotiate the construction document phase with the architectural firm at that time.”
Lingo and his company, Lingo Construction, also oversaw development of the Canadian County Expo & Event Center.
A committee comprised of District 3 County Commissioner Tracey Rider, Court Clerk Marie Hirst, County Clerk Sherry Murray, and County Treasurer Jay Arnold selected MA+ Architecture among seven candidates to design a new county courthouse complex.
“Now we are ready to get the ball rolling,” Commissioner Rider said May 30. “They’ll start their interviews once we get this approved.”
Rider said she has “full confidence” in Lingo’s ability to “watch out for us” during this process.
“We’re ready to go!” she said.
All three commissioners voted to approve the agreement with MA+ Architecture at their weekly meeting.
“This courthouse project is really for all the county offices, except for the sheriff’s department,” Commissioner Rider told the audience. “So, it’s not just the courthouse. It’s bringing everybody home into one building.”
FUNDING EARMARKED
An estimated project cost still must be determined.
Commissioners previously set aside $8 million in the county general fund budget for the new courthouse complex construction.
County officials also are looking to use $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the project.
In March 2022, Canadian County elected officials toured the Rogers County Courthouse near Tulsa.
In 2014, Rogers County constructed a 100,000-square foot, four-story building.
Canadian County Commission Chairman Dave Anderson estimated a similar facility would cost about $30 million to build today.
Canadian County’s continued population growth has been cited as a primary reason for developing a new county courthouse/administration building.
Canadian is Oklahoma’s fourth largest – and fastest-growing – county.
Canadian County’s population increased by 33.6% (115,541 to 154,405) between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Canadian County’s estimated 2023 population is 166,063 with a growth rate of 2.4% in the past year, according to recent U.S. Census data.
