CAMANO ISLAND — After years of planning, construction will begin next month on government offices on Camano Island.
The new Island County Administration Building will replace the aging Camano Annex on NE Camano Drive, where public offices currently are located.
The annex was built in the 1970s, before modern building standards for earthquakes or accessibility, and the island’s population was significantly smaller, according to planning materials.
Camano is part of Island County, but most county services are based on Whidbey Island. That’s more than an hour by car, or a boat trip across Saratoga Passage.
The new building, designed by Seattle-based SHKS Architects, will cost about $5.5 million. Construction is set to begin July 8 and will be completed by Faber Construction of Lynden, according to an Island County news release.
The single-story building will have wood framing, with large windows and wood and metal siding. Up to 12 county programs will have space in the facility, along with administrative offices, public service counters, meeting areas and a conference room. It will have 34 parking spaces.
The Island County sheriff’s office on Camano will be moving to the new administration building. Deputies previously worked out of a 1,000-square-foot modular building.
There had been plans to build a new government building on Camano Island a decade ago. When the recession hit, the county shelved plans for the new offices.
The administration building will be constructed next to the annex, which will remain open throughout the project. Once the new space is fully occupied, the old space will be demolished.
“We look forward to delivering a great project for Island County,” said Island County Facilities Director Larry Van Horn.
“This is a facility that will serve them well for several decades into the future.”
Julia-Grace Sanders: 425-339-3439; jgsanders@heraldnet.com.
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