Carbon County officials are beginning the process to upgrade the nearly 129-year-old courthouse in Jim Thorpe.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners approved an agreement with Boyle Construction Management of Allentown for professional construction management services for the courthouse renovation project.

The breakdown of costs include $479,000 for Boyle Construction; $113,500 for MKSD Architects; $168,000 for Snyder Hoffman Associates; and $14,050 for Barry Isett and Associates for asbestos, lead and mold testing.

The commissioners said the project does not include a lot of renovations to change the appearance of the inside of the courthouse, but rather will be behind the ceilings and walls, including new electrical, air handling systems, HVAC, plumbing, mechanical work and a bathroom upgrade.

The cosmetic portion of work will make up about a quarter of the cost.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that it will be a balancing act in maintaining the historic features, such as the flooring.

He said some of the flooring tiles are cracked and are a safety issue, but are also over a century old.

Carbon County has begun working to reconfigure some offices in the courthouse to provide more space for departments over the last few years through the 44/76 Susquehanna St. building projects.

The county is also finalizing the courthouse’s main elevator replacement project, which is slated to begin on March 21.

To prepare, the commissioners have been leasing office space for the courts to use during the elevator project.

They also previously said this six-week project is helping them figure out what will be needed when the courthouse renovation project begins.

The commissioners hope to have the project go to bid by October, with an estimated start date in January 2023. It will take approximately 12-18 months to complete once started.