ALFRED — Renovations to a former cell block at what is now the county government building, but was once York County Jail, could begin later this summer.

The project involves the creation of two new offices, three conference rooms in what was once the women’s cell block, along with expansion of the county’s wellness center, according to County Manager Greg Zinser. He projected the cost at $240,000 to $300,000. Money for the project, he said, comes from reserves.

The sole bidder for construction management of the project was Pine Brook Corporation of Kittery. According to Zinser, the construction management fee is about 8 percent of the project cost.

With a construction management approach, a company plans, coordinates and supervises a project from beginning to end, seeking bids from subcontractors and the like.

Zinser first presented the proposal to commissioners in May. He told them at that time that the construction management approach gives the county greater control over the project since the construction manager would present the bids to the county. At the time, he recommended Pine Brook Construction to do the work.

Commissioner Marston Lovell said he would feel more comfortable if three bids were sought, according to the meeting minutes, and so commissioners agreed to move forward, with that provison.

Zinser said proposals were sought from four companies. Two responded saying the project was too small for them to consider, and a third didn’t respond at all, leaving Pine Brook Corporation as the sole bidder.

Lovell on Wednesday said he is comfortable with the bidding process, since proposals were sought from four companies. With contractors busy this season, he said he isn’t surprised that two of the companies felt the job was too small.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].