Work on renovating the historic Effingham County Courthouse is expected to begin soon, after county commissioners gave the go-ahead for selective demolition and exploration of the building.

Savannah-based J.T. Turner Construction won the bid to restore the courthouse and is partnering with Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung and Greenline Architects for the $3.2 million project.

“This allows J.T. Turner to have access to the building,” county project manager Adam Kobek explained.

It does not give the firm the notice to proceed to begin the main work on the building. County commissioners are expected to have final approval of the design/build documents by Aug. 31.

“The 365-day clock will not begin based on this notice to proceed,” Kobek said.

Tuesday’s action will allow the contractors to assess the inside of the building and to look at such things as fireplaces and to remove such items as floor coverings, carpets suspended ceilings and bath fixtures and the inspection of fireplaces and mantels. It also allows for the removal of partition walls put in the addition to the courthouse built in 1979.

The start date for work was set at Aug. 1 but with only one commission meeting in July, pushing the deadline for approval of the build/design documents gives commissioners time to adjust those plans if they wish, Kobek said. Work is expected to start no later than Aug. 31.

The second notice to proceed will be issued as soon as the contractor either asks to get a remodeling permit from the city of Springfield or commissioners OK the design documents.

Contractors have a year to complete the work on the historic courthouse, which is now 101 years old and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1980.

The old courthouse’s lone current tenants, the district attorney’s office, have been relocated to the Treutlen Building.

Commissioners also want to find out how much an energy model for the refurbished courthouse will cost and what it will save. Commissioners had discussed making the courthouse LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified but tabled that proposal.

Kobek said that even if the commissioners don’t opt for the LEED certification, the energy model would be still useful in making the building energy efficient. The cost for the energy model would be $5,720, in addition to the contract price for the work at the courthouse.

“There is cost modeling for what it would cost to operate the building,” Kobek said.

The county’s new 911 center also went online Tuesday morning around 10 a.m., Kobek said.