MALONE -- Legislators are going to price out the cost of adding more space to the Franklin County Courthouse while lending rates are favorable.

The idea is to enclose the existing Webster Street entrance and build three stories on top of it to add square footage for still-cramped offices, such as the Foster Care program and other Department of Social Services areas.

All of this was discussed at a meeting of the Public Works and Services Committee this week.

Beardsley Design Associates of Malone will be asked to come up with a price for construction.

Then legislators will decide whether to add that cost on to an existing bond package they are preparing for $2.84 million worth of other repairs and renovations at the courthouse.

Early estimates are that it could cost another $1 million to construct the additional space over the entrance, which is notorious for its poor drainage and weak protection from the cold.

County Treasurer Bryon Varin will be consulted again to learn if the bond can be obtained in 2009 but with the first debt payment delayed until 2010, because no money was set aside for the project in the current budget.

At the same time, the engineers will be asked to research the cost of a third elevator for the courthouse, since one is used exclusively by the State Unified Court System and the other is slow.

The court elevator is used by judges and by security officers to transport inmates and defendants to and from court through the security checkpoint on the third floor.

But that leaves just one elevator for all the people who work at the courthouse or conduct their business there.

A portion of the renovations and repairs are under way, with the installation of new windows going quickly, according to Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Robert Dupra.

He said there is a marked difference in the seals and insulation from the new windows and that noise has been greatly reduced in traffic-facing offices, such as Real Property Services.

He said the installation of 106 heat pumps can take place over the winter, and any pre-planning can be done so everything is ready to go out to bid in the spring.

draymo@pressrepublican.com