KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-Monterey may scrap rest of courthouse renovation
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SALINAS, Calif. (AP) - A Monterey County official is recommending that the county scrap a planned renovation of its Salinas courthouse complex because of rising costs.
The county encountered problems while renovating the complex's north wing in 2005, when asbestos was accidentally released during demolition. Last month, Nova Partners Inc. agreed to an undisclosed settlement with people exposed to the potentially cancer-causing material.
And on Tuesday, the county's Board of Supervisors approved spending an extra $9 million to complete the north wing project, now totaling nearly $72 million.
The costs overruns prompted Public Works Director Yazdan Emrani to urge the county to abandon plans to renovate the east and west wings. Emrani instead recommends closing down those parts of the complex and purchasing a new building nearby.
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