January 02, 2025
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Planned $9.9 million renovation of Kendall County Office Building moving ahead

By Eric Schelkopf
The Kendall County Office Building, 111 W. Fox St. in Yorkville, is home to the county government administration.

The Kendall County Office Building, 111 W. Fox St. in Yorkville, is home to the county government administration. (Mark Foster)

Plans are moving ahead on a $9.9 million renovation of the Kendall County Office Building on the Fox Street campus in downtown Yorkville, designed to improve public access to the building.

At the Dec. 17 Kendall County Board meeting, board members approved county office building renovations and bid documents for a total project cost of $9.9 million.

To accommodate the work, some of Kendall County’s operations starting in January will be temporarily relocated to the Kendall County Courthouse on John Street. Affected departments include the treasurer’s office, the assessor’s office, the planning, building & zoning office, administration office, human resources office and geographic information systems office.

Offices will begin moving on Jan. 6, with all services being available at the courthouse on Jan. 13.

In addition, Kendall County Board meetings will be temporarily relocated to the historic Kendall County Courthouse on the Fox Street campus.

The project will include full renovations to the entire building, except the boardroom and the executive board conference room. The improvements will be paid for from the county’s fiscal 2024 building fund, with the remainder budgeted in the fiscal 2025 building fund.

The project is expected to be completed by January 2026. As Brian DeBolt, chairman of the board’s facilities and technology committee, told fellow board members earlier this year, the elevator for the Kendall County Office Building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and is not safe.

“So that would be replaced,” he said. “The stairways would be replaced, which are now enclosed, with a glass atrium to bring natural light into those spaces. The third-floor hallway system would be removed, and the other two floors would be expanded by department for future growth of Kendall County. And by doing all this, it should take us maybe three decades down the road. As growth continues to come to Kendall County, we have to prepare in advance so that we have the spaces available as the population grows and the programs grow.”

All bathrooms in the building also will be made ADA accessible. Kendall County Board Chairman Matt Kellogg said the improvements will enhance public access.

“The majority of the public access will be on the first floor instead of people having go up and down stairs,” he said. “The elevator is antiquated to say the least. We’ve put hundreds of thousands of dollars into repairs for it since I’ve been on the board.”

Kellogg has served on the County Board since 2016. Kendall County Administrator Christina Burns talked more about how the project will improve public access, including having a public service window for the treasurer’s office and a reception area outside the County Board room.

Also as part of the improvements, the main entrance to the building will be moved. The new entrance will face the new building under construction, Kendall County Administrator Christina Burns said.

As part of the improvements, the main entrance to the building will be moved. The new entrance will face the new building under construction, Kendall County Administrator Christina Burns said. (Eric Schelkopf)

“It will just be a more inviting atmosphere,” Burns said. “There will be a three-story open-air reception area. There will be better signage and better directions. People often don’t know where they’re going in this building.”

Also, as part of the improvements, the main entrance to the building will be moved.