AUSTIN — The project to remodel Mower County’s old courthouse is coming in more than $1 million cheaper than originally planned.

After the county board accepted preliminary construction bids at a Tuesday meeting, an updated project budget released Friday shows the total remodel will cost about $4.3 million — about $1.3 million for the remodel of the law enforcement center and about $3 million for a remodel of the Department Health and Human Services.

Officials initially estimated the project cost at around $5.4 million total — about $1.8 for the city and county to jointly fund the remodel of the law enforcement center, and about $3.6 for the county’s remodel for Health and Human Services.

The construction bids announced Tuesday were about 30 percent lower than officials expected.

The county is remodeling the vacant spaces in the old courthouse — mainly the old jail and court rooms on the second floor — to make room to move the Department of Health and Human Services from temporary quarters in Oak Park Mall.

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi has described the law enforcement center remodel as facelift that will include things like renovating dispatch, revamping the lobby and repairing worn down areas.

The law enforcement center was last remodeled in 1995. The county is using reserves to fund the remodel.