The county building at 328 ½ Second St. is slated to be torn down as the Wood County Commission opened three bids on Thursday from area contractors to do the job. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission opened three bids Thursday for the demolition of the former Wood County Sheriff’s building at the corner of Second and Avery streets.

The commission opened the bids for the job of the demolition of the building located at 328 ½ Second St. in Parkersburg. For a number of years the building housed the Wood County Sheriff’s Department and the county maintenance garage.

The bids were $155,500 from Empire Builders in Parkersburg, $49,500 from Tim Graham Excavating of Parkersburg and $43,000 from JC Bosley Construction in Parkersburg. The commission voted unanimously to accept the bids and to have them reviewed by Wood County Administrator Marty Seufer who will make a recommendation to the commission. Each bid included provisions for asbestos inspection and removal as well as disposal for the materials onsite, officials said.

Seufer said part of the bids also included leveling out the lot.

When the Wood County Justice Center was opened, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department and the Wood County Magistrate Court moved there. The new Wood County Resiliency Center included space for the county maintenance department.

The building at 328 ½ Second St. has had roof problems, mold issues and other concerns.

“It has been a headache since I have been here,” said Commission President Blair Couch.

For a number of years, the building was used to store records and other materials from the Wood County Circuit Clerk’s office, the Wood County Prosecutor’s office and the Wood County Clerk’s office. Officials went through the building and had old records removed and shredded while materials that needed to be retained were moved to a secure holding area at the Wood County 911 Center.

On Thursday, officials said the building had been pretty much emptied out and everyone was prepared to proceed with demolition.

“There won’t be any tears shed when that thing is down,” Seufer said.

Once the building is down, officials believe some additional parking will be created for the Resiliency Center and provide better access to the back entrance.

“Once it is down, we can repave a lot of this,” Couch said.

Officials did not have an estimate on when the work will be done.

In other business, the commission discussed courthouse security.

Officials have had concerns about the lack of secured entry into the Wood County Courthouse and the potential for problems, especially when the Wood County Justice Center, the Shaver Judicial Annex and the Family Court/ Wood County Prosecutors Office has personnel checking people and people go through metal detectors.

Seufer has been looking at options. One option would have a couple of panic buttons at two locations within the courthouse and is expected to cost around $7,133 to install. An better option, according to Seufer, would be getting a system where each employee would have a name tag that doubles as an alert button they would press in times of trouble that would alert 911. Seufer is checking in on cost estimates for that system.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said they could have an officer who can walk the building. A number of years ago, they had an officer who was stationed on the main floor of the courthouse and would greet people, help them find where they needed to go and help defuse situations before they got to a point where tempers could flare.

County Clerk Joe Gonzales said they have had concerns in the probate office and offices where people file pre-candidacy papers where people have gotten agitated with something. Assessor John Kelly said they have had people come in who were upset with something.

Kelly said many of his people would be comfortable with an officer on hand in the building.

When the county had an officer, the cost was split between the county, the clerk’s office and the assessor’s office, Couch said.

Kelly said the only requirement his people wanted was to have someone fit and agile enough who could get around the building quickly.

“We would have to get someone without a cane,” Couch responded, adding officials didn’t want someone who would view the position as a final job before retirement.

The commission instructed Seufer to get some cost estimates together and they would talk about them at an upcoming meeting.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.