St. Clair County has an updated estimate for what new Animal Control building may cost
Constructing a new St. Clair County Animal Control building in Belleville will cost less than originally thought, making the total estimated price of the project drop by around $5 million, the county building director said after the new facility’s ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday.
Dogs and cats have had to be evacuated from the existing facility at 1250 S. 11th St. in Belleville during heavy rain because it is prone to flooding. It sits in a low-lying area near a creek. The new location is about four miles northwest at 1123 Comwest Parkway in Belleville off of Illinois 15.
St. Clair County Buildings Director Jim Brede said the county signed a contract for the construction work with Wright Construction Services, Inc. from St. Peters, Missouri.
Engineers working on the project had told the county to prepare for construction to cost as much as $13.5 million. But Wright Construction Services said in the bidding process that it can complete the work for $8.8 million.
In October, before bids came in, county officials estimated that the total project price could be as much as $16 million.
Brede said Thursday that he now estimates the total price will be between $11 million and $12 million. The number is still not exact because additional planning is needed before issuing bonds to cover unfunded costs, Brede said.
“We’re going to have to do an accounting of what we need and what our goals are clearly before we finalize any bonding issue,” Brede said. He expects that planning to happen in January or February.
The St. Clair County Board has allocated a portion of its COVID-19 relief money toward the project. In December, the board voted to increase the amount of funding from $4.3 million to $6.2 million.
The new building will include a surgical suite as well as animal wellness features recommended by project consultant Animal Arts, a Colorado company.
Among the new features are:
Outdoor play areas for exercise, including cat enclosures
Kennels that are twice as big and arranged so that none of the animals face each other to avoid stress
Heated floors and natural light in kennel areas
Piped-in music specifically for cats and for dogs
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
