County commissioners will hire an architect and solicit bids to provide a clearer picture of what it will cost to renovate the headquarters of the Colbert County Board of Education.

An environmental consultant told the commission Tuesday renovations could exceed $1 million.

The estimate was prepared by Terry Painter, a Decatur-based environmental consultant who conducted an in-depth assessment of the building and determined there was mold in the area occupied by the board of education.

Commissioners discussed the estimate at Tuesday's meeting.

Painter, of WS Indoor Air Solutions, recommends gutting and rebuilding the entire area occupied by the board and performing major renovations to other parts of the building, including removing an old "second ceiling" between the existing ceiling and roof and making improvements to the perimeter walls of the 50-year-old building.

Painter said some of the work could be done in phases, but the board of education officers must be demolished and rebuilt.

"The rest of the building certainly could be done in phases," Painter told the commission.

Commissioners voted to hire an architect to create a scope of work for the renovations, then solicit bids for the work to get a clearer picture of how much the project will cost.

Commissioner Roger Creekmore said since the commission is dealing with taxpayers' money, it's important to know costs before making a decision.

"It would be prudent to get everyone out of the building now and get some hard figures, not estimates," Creekmore said.

The commissioner said he wanted to retain a Shoals-based architect to keep the estimated $85,000 cost of services in the area.

Commissioner Troy Woodis said rough estimates he received from local commercial contractors indicate a new building could cost between $125 and $175 per square foot.

Painter's estimate to renovate the building comes to $24.22 per square foot.

Commissioner Jimmy Gardiner said the commission should determine the amount of square footage actually being used at the office complex in order to better determine the cost of renovations.

In addition to the board of education, the building houses offices for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, North Alabama Highway Safety Office, Alabama Forestry Commission, Resource Conservation and Development Office and others.

Eddie Russell, coordinator for the North Alabama Highway Safety Office, said Painter reported there was no mold in the area where his office is located, but could not guarantee there wasn't mold above the ceiling.

Russell also said he disagreed with a statement made by Assistant Superintendent of Education Jeff Cornelius that board employees would not return to the office complex even if it was renovated.

Russell said constructing a new building for the board of education, as Cornelius requested, would amount to favoritism toward the board of education.

"The building can be saved," Russell said.

Painter agreed. He said areas inside the building that have painted walls were not affected by the mold as much as offices that had vinyl wall coverings which trapped moisture.

Painter said the mold in the building is not active because the source of moisture was cut off when a new roof was added to the building.

Commissioner Rex Burleson said he is continuing to search for office space for the other complex tenants.

Russ Corey can be reached at 256-740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.