EAGLE RIVER — Keweenaw County is set to begin a construction project of installing an elevator in the Courthouse during the second week of January.

On Dec. 15, 2023, the Board of Commissioners conducted a special meeting to open bids for the project, which has been a topic of discussion and planning since the beginning of 2023.

Two bids were received for the project with Wuebben Construction’s being the lower bid at $171, 380. Lou Meyette from OHM was present at the meeting to assist with the bid opening process.

Although the County has discussed the project for a number of years, in January 2023, the Board discussed finally having available funding for the project.

At the January 2023 regular meeting, Board Chairman Don Piche said the county has a bit of windfall money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

“We’ve talked about pursuing an elevator and I think now is the time,” Piche said in January. “We’ve got this money, and I don’t know when we could have a chance to do it again.”

Del Rajala, Board vice chair, concurred, saying that every time the subject of installing an elevator has been brought up in the past, the reply has always been: “Gee, I wish we had the money,” adding that while the county has the money, an elevator needs to be installed.

The initial plan for the elevator, as disclosed in the 2019- 2025 Keweenaw County Capital Improvement Plan estimated the project at $200,000, with funding to come from an extra voted millage for buildings and grounds.

Piche said, at the time, that his concern is that the county could be sued for the courthouse not being compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“”There are issues when people sometimes can’t get up (the stairs) to the courtroom when there’s court, and they want to be up here,” said. “And anybody that wants to come to court should have the right to be here.”

At the regular June 2023 meeting, the Board voted unanimously to move ahead with the option submitted by OHM for the elevator to be installed on the side of the steps, and into a hallway that will be created by constructing a wall in the courtroom. The accepted option also allows for new steps to be built for the attic.

With the project scheduled to begin in January, Wuebben Construction will be provided with a court schedule so that they can attempt to work around it.