Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com

A new administrative complex could be coming to Eddy County but commissioners have yet to determine the project’s estimated cost or timeline, potentially ranging from 14 months to four years.

Eddy County Commissioners opted last year to move forward with a proposal to shift both the county’s administrative office and its jail from Carlsbad’s downtown area on Greene and Main streets, respectively, to a location near the Cavern City Air Terminal.

Between the jail and administrative offices, the county last year estimated the total cost at about $350 million.

The idea was to consolidate county operations and provide more space for parking and potential new businesses opening in downtown Carlsbad. Commissioners decided not to move the historic Eddy County Courthouse, choosing to renovate the aging building at Mermod and Canyon streets in a separate project now underway.

Officials with Frisco, Texas-based architecture firm Parkhill presented their plan for rebuilding the administrative building during the County Commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, May 6.

Principal in Charge Kreg Robertson said the firm was first meeting with those who work in county offices, aiming to understand their needs and how to best modernize the facility. He did not give a specific timeline or cost estimate for the building alone, but said the design process could take a year, with construction “dependent on the site.”

Robertson did estimate that a complete “ground-up” rebuild would take up to 14 months, while renovating the existing structure could push the project out “three or four years.”

“We’ve got an opportunity here to do something more than create a building that’s just offices,” he said. “It could be so much more than an administrative complex. You’ve got a wonderful opportunity to create a legacy project.”

Civil Practice Lead Kyle LaFerney said Parkhill would recommend that the county convene an advisory committee to solicit input from the public and county employees on what the rebuild should include.

“You’ll see a common theme, which is us coming to you to talk,” LaFerney said. “It isn’t our building. We’re a tool to get this done.”

Robertson said dialogue with the county and local stakeholders was “critical” to the project to limit alterations once plans and construction begin.

“We can’t do all of this design until we’ve met with you all,” Robertson said. “I can go and design a beautiful building, but we might end up having to go back and change it if we haven’t talked with you and collaborated.”

He said the county would be updated frequently throughout the project.

“We never ever what to get to the end of the process and find out that we’re $10 million over your budget. That’s not fun for anyone,” Robertson said. “We never want this to be a surprise at the end of the project.”

LaFerney said several meetings would be held in the coming months, starting within weeks, to get input from workers and the public before the design process begins.

“It’s a much slower process than many believe,” LaFerney said. “Construction is dependent on the site. Every community is different.”

Commission Chair Sarah Cordova said workers will be more efficient if they are staffed in a building and workspace they can help tailor to their own needs.

“It really has to center around the employees and what’s going to work best for them,” she said. “Your workplace has to be a reflection of you. I really appreciate the emphasis on getting the input from the employees.”

Other business

Eddy County Finance Director Roberta Gonzalez reported the county received about $5.9 million in gross receipts tax as of March 2025, the latest month accounted for in county finance. The county also received about $7.9 million in oil and gas receipts.

The county had about $144,000 in lodgers tax at the start of Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which ends June 30, 2025, Gonzalez said, increasing to $192,000 by the end of March.

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.