Justice Center ramp snowmelt would cost $216k up front

The King Street public entrance to the new Justice Center could get heated concrete on its stairs and accessible ramp for $216,714, plus an estimated $4,125 a year in electricity, according to the county’s snowmelt change order packet. The change order would add electric heating cables, not boilers or pumps, and would raise the construction contract from $92,519,331 to $92,736,045 with no change to the Sept. 1, 2028 substantial completion date.

This is the kind of winter access detail that matters more than it sounds. The alternative is once-daily early-morning snow removal by Parks and Rec, with no guarantee the stairs and ramp stay clear through a storm day, and the sheriff does not want bailiffs picking up the slack in the new building. Geothermal would use about a quarter of the electricity, but staff says it would cost about five times more to install and bring more mechanical maintenance.