On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the San Juan County Council formally awarded contracts to complete work on the courtroom and offices in the historic portion of County Courthouse to Peter C. Schmidt Construction of Friday Harbor.

The work was divided into three schedules for the bidding and Schmidt Construction was the lowest of the three bidders on each.

The low bid should enable the overall project to come in under budget and without the county having to take out a short-term loan to fund completion, as it had anticipated.

The county began the renovation after it was awarded a state grant for courthouse historic preservation in 2007. That grant pledged up to $367,000 in matching funds. The first phase of the renovation, which is now complete, repaired roofing and structural problems, reattached the south portico of the courthouse and installed energy efficient, soundproof windows.

The work to be performed under the new contract will transform the old Board of County Commissioners hearing room into a fully functional court room, add jury facilities and adjacent offices for District Court employees.

The work is scheduled to be completed by early summer of 2009. The final total cost of the renovation project is expected to be $527,000, with half being reimbursed by the state grant and another $50,000 contributed by the Washington Trial Court Improvement Account.