Cole County plans $1.3 million renovation of 911 center

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County is planning an approximate $1.3 million renovation of its emergency services building as officials continue exploring long-term options for consolidating 911 operations with Jefferson City.

At Tuesday’s Cole County Commission meeting, EMS Chief Eric Hoy provided an update on the county’s emergency services building on Southridge Drive. In July, the commission approved a $29,725 contract for a study of the county’s emergency communications system.

Hoy said the communications center has outgrown its current space.

“We do not have a situation where we can sustain that for 5, 10, or 15 more years,” Hoy said. 

The proposed renovation will cost about $1.3 million. Hoy described it as a short-term solution while the county continues exploring a consolidated 911 system with Jefferson City.

The commission voted Tuesday to move forward with the renovation’s design phase, which includes $165,000 for architectural and engineering services and an additional $6,800 for a civil survey. The design work is intended to help move the project toward bidding and construction in 2027.

The project would address deteriorating concrete floors, water damage in former living quarters and drainage problems. It also would include mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades, along with an entrance that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hoy said the renovated space would be designed to allow communications technology to be moved to another facility if the county changes its operations in the future.

“So that if in the future we need to take that technology and move to a new facility or change our operations, we're able to do so, and then we're left with an open office space,” Hoy said. 

The Jefferson City Public Safety Committee is also scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Hoy is scheduled to provide a general update on EMS.