Paul Rosala, assets and infrastructure manager for Barnstable County, updated commissioners Sept. 26 on the Superior Courthouse restoration and the county’s broader facilities master plan, saying the project is moving into procurement and temporary-space planning.

Rosala said the current construction estimate for the Superior Courthouse renovation is about $5,700,000 and the county has appropriated $7,000,000 for the project. He added county staff expect to recover roughly 75% of the renovation cost under the county’s lease and reimbursement arrangements with the court system.

Rosala said the courts requested an extended two-month review of operational needs and assigned a project manager to coordinate with the county. Because the courts require full-time continuous access to hearing rooms, staff are pursuing an “unoccupied building” option — off-site space the county could hold to run court sessions during construction — rather than temporary trailer-based hearing rooms that could be more expensive.

Rosala described the current schedule as targeting construction mobilization in spring with work through fall of next year, while noting the schedule remains subject to change. “We’re looking at starting construction in the spring through fall of next year,” he said. Rosala and commissioners said the county may need to adjust the schedule to avoid winter construction and associated demobilization or quality issues with brick-and-mortar restoration.

The presentation also covered a countywide facilities master plan, which Rosala said will produce an implementation plan and cost estimates to guide capital needs for county buildings, including the possibility of renovating part of the county’s old jail, storage needs for the dredge program, accessibility fixes at Children’s Cove, and impacts on county administrative and Cooperative Extension offices. He reported the master plan lists roughly $71,000,000 in deferred maintenance across county properties and said staff will propose a prioritization and financing approach for commissioners and delegates.

Why it matters: The Superior Courthouse serves multiple judicial operations; coordinated planning is required to maintain court access, manage county office relocations and limit unnecessary temporary-construction costs. The county’s plan to recover most renovation costs through the court lease reduces the net county exposure but leaves timing and contingency risk.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the facilities master plan draft, circulate it for internal review, and prepare an implementation and financing plan for board discussion. Rosala said staff will start public outreach in affected village areas once schedules are locked and will pursue coordination with court project managers to limit disruptions.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Paul Rosala, Assets and Infrastructure Manager, Barnstable County; commissioner discussion during the Sept. 26, 2025 meeting of the Barnstable County Commissioners.