YOUNGSTOWN — The plans to renovate the former clerk of courts space left empty in city hall about seven years ago into new offices for the community planning and economic development department are either going to have to be scaled back or get council approval for increased costs.

City Council on March 19 agreed to authorize the board of control to spend up to $290,000 for that project to the building’s second floor.

But the city’s estimate for the work was $403,000 with Brock Builders of North Lima submitting the apparent low bid of $380,500 for the project. The next apparent lowest bid was $386,074 from The Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown.

The four other bids were higher than the estimate with Declan Construction Inc. of Brookfield submitting the highest proposal at $692,500.

The project was initially designed with an estimated cost of $500,000 to renovate the space, but the work was scaled back when presented by the administration to council to proceed.

The project’s largest expense is for electrical upgrades, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works.

“We’ll either value engineer it (to lower the cost) or ask council to increase the amount,” he said.

Shasho said the work will start in the summer. The contract calls for up to 180 days to finish the project, but Shasho said he expects it to be finished before that.

The space, which is about 4,000 square feet, has been empty since the clerk of courts moved from there in 2018 to the city hall annex at 9 W. Front St. as part of the relocation of the city court system.

City officials talked on and off since the clerk of courts left the space about what to do with it and finally decided last year to allow the community planning and economic development department to use it.

The renovations include upgrades to the electrical system; heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements; and bathroom and plumbing work.

The community planning and economic development department’s office on the fourth floor in the former city prosecutor’s office is about half the size of the space on the second floor.

After the municipal court moved to the annex — about a block away from city hall at 26 S. Phelps St. — the city had work done on the former courtrooms, also located on the second floor.

The police department uses some of that space for offices, meetings and news conferences.