Oswego inks $190K deal for design work on new public works facility

Oswego continues to move ahead with plans to build a new public works facility to keep up with the village’s needs as it continues to grow.

At the Dec. 10 Oswego Village Board meeting, village trustees unanimously approved hiring Itasca-based Williams Architects to design the new building. The firm recently did a space needs assessment to determine the needs for the public works facility in the next 20 years.

“We’re looking for some options on how to properly prepare for growth in the village,” Oswego Public Works Director Jennifer Hughes has said. “We could buy an existing building, but if it doesn’t meet all of our needs, then we’re faced with making another investment down the road.”

The current public works facility at 100 Theodore Drive was constructed in 2002. Right now, numerous pieces of equipment have to be stored outdoors because there is a limited amount of space in the building.

Nineteen pieces of equipment – valued at between $2 million and $2.5 million – have to be stored outdoors. In addition, there is no office space left in the building.

Williams Architects previously presented four building options to trustees and they directed staff to move forward with the engineering and design of options two and three.

Option two will include the main garage and staff areas: office, lunchroom, locker room and conference rooms. Option three will include all of the items in option two with the addition of a fleet garage and divisional shop work areas.

The estimated construction cost of the options range from $28 million up to $41 million.

Option two could be funded through existing reserves and option three would require additional funding through water rate increases or bonds, Oswego Public Works Facilities Manager Steve Raasch told trustees.

For $190,000, Williams Architects will do design work for both options.

“The board will have to come back in April or May and vote on which option we’re going to do,” Raasch said. “But at least we’ll have the design done at that point.”

The estimated architecture and engineering fees for the construction of option two amount to $1.1 million and about $2 million for option three.

There has been a plan to expand the existing building since 2008, knowing that the village was growing. The existing building was constructed for a population of 20,000 to 25,000.

Oswego now has a population of more than 34,000, according to the 2020 U.S. census.