Supervisors decide to revamp Cooks Corner building for sheriff

by Larry Chowning –

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors (MCBS) voted 5-0 Tuesday, Oct. 4, to fund an estimated $4.5 million renovation of the former Lewis B. Puller Vocational Center building at Cooks Corner to serve as headquarters for the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office.

Supervisors have been going back and forth for months on whether or not to build a new sheriff’s office building or renovate the 40-year old former Puller Center building.

On Tuesday, County Engineer Charlie Beam reported that through further research it has been determined that to demolish and build a new office on the current site would cost between $400 to $450 per square foot. This would drive the overall price of a new build to $6.422 million.

Earlier, an architect had estimated the square footage cost for a new building to be $275 per square foot, which meant the cost of renovation and the price tag of a new building were close in price. “I recommend that because of the difference in square footage cost that the county should consider Option 1 (to renovate the current building), said Beam.

Middlesex County Sheriff David Bushey has been supportive of renovation because he said he feels that there are other cost savings that could bring down the overall price of renovation of the Cooks Corner building.