ST. LOUIS — St. Louis County plans a $332,000 renovation to the lobby of its main government building, to prevent the public from traveling around the building once it reopens after COVID-19 shutdowns.
The project comes even as the administration of County Executive Sam Page has weighed demolishing and replacing the building, at 41 S. Central Ave., perhaps at a cost of $35 million.
Page spokesman Doug Moore said "there have been discussions on a long-term plan for the building but nothing has been determined."
The new project, to be completed before the building's reopening on July 13, is to utilize funds from the unspent balance of a $29.5 million bond sale used for the courthouse construction project, Moore said. The rest of the unspent balance is going to a $515,200 IT server replacement project, he said.
"No general fund monies or CARES Act funds are being used for the lobby project," Moore said.
County documents say the project will involve removing escalators, moving 35 staff members, installing a glass wall at the elevator lobby and a bank of customer service lockers, modifying a customer service counter, and placing new signs and furniture.
"The purpose is to provide efficient customer service while protecting the health of employees and the public," Moore said of the work. "All services that were provided throughout the building will be available at the street level. This limits traffic throughout the building and in the elevators. With the reconfigured space, security can now have an unobscured view of the entire floor. The current layout was a safety concern."
