The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners "design subcommittee" last week began finalizing specifications on a "furniture package" and other interior design items for the new Government Center now under construction in Suttons Bay Township.

Officials say the $10.6 million courthouse is nearly complete and that the 68,000-square-foot facility will likely be ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2008.

“All the millwork inside the building has been completed,” said county administrator David Gill. “We even have doors installed now, and pretty soon we’ll need to start locking them because of all the stuff that’s going to go inside,” he quipped.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 17, the county board’s three-woman design subcommittee, chaired by District No. 4 commissioner Mary Tonneberger, met with consultant Joan VanPutten of Landmark Design, which is affiliated with the architectural firm that designed the new building.

The subcommittee reviewed four bid packages prepared by VanPutten – for seating; desks and tables; workstations, files and panels; and accessory items. VanPutten said a number of firms throughout the state, including several local firms, would be asked to submit bids. Although no firm figures are currently available, it is expected that the final bill for all interior furnishings in the new government center could approach $1 million.

The design subcommittee is slated to meet again on Wednesday, Nov. 7, to consider bids from suppliers and prepare a recommendation for the full county board. The full board is slated to hold a special meeting on Nov. 8 to decide on what interior furnishings will be purchased.

Tonneberger explained that prior to the Oct. 17 meeting in Leland, subcommittee members along with VanPutten visited several government buildings in Grand Traverse County, including the county courthouse.

“I’ll bet we must have sat in 200 different chairs,” Tonneberger said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good handle on what kind of chairs the judges want, but we agreed that you aren’t going to satisfy all the people all the time.”

Tonneberger said the subcommittee has yet to make a final decision on what fabrics will be used on some of the furniture, but the job has been made easier by a decision the board made months ago on a “color palette” based on VanPutten’s recommendations.

“We saw a lot of offices that, frankly, were pretty schlocky,” Tonneberger added. “But we’re going for a classy look and don’t expect to mix any of the old furniture with any of the new furniture except for maybe a few file cabinets. Once we move into the new facility, I expect the old furniture from the Leland courthouse will be put up for auction or sale.”