Published March 27, 2008

Courthouse construction timeline discussed

Completion of $17 million facility could be three years away

Under current timelines, construction on the $17 million courthouse renovation project will not begin before fall and may not be completed for three years, according to an interview with Commissioner Rob Jones Thursday.
Jones said there is a massive amount of planning involved in the project that will take time and money before actual construction can begin.
“It’s not as simple as putting a shovel in the ground,” he said.
Jones said construction will not start for eight to twelve months. He said architects have told him that three years would be a reasonable time to complete construction. As a comparison, Gilmer County took five years to build a new courthouse that opened less than a year ago, he said.
Plans presented along with the February 5 sales tax referendum call for the back portion of the present courthouse to be demolished with the front (marble) portion renovated to include a new portico, both for appearance and to increase walking traffic flow.
In February, voters narrowly approved a $34 million SPLOST resolution allocating $17 million for a new/renovated courthouse with an additional $2,711,510 to pay interest on bonds so the courthouse project can begin before all SPLOST funds are collected.
Jones said there are several hurdles to cross before the county can begin demolition of the courthouse back. Hurdles include finalization of building plans and finding suitable locations for temporary court offices while construction is underway.
He said conceptual drawings, presented for the election, show the basic plan of the renovation/construction, but aren’t the detailed “blueprints” needed for construction. He said full plans cost $60,000, an amount he wouldn’t spend until he knew the SPLOST had passed, and there would be funds to do the work.
However, Jones said the general appearance of the new courthouse as presented in earlier plans remains the basic design for the new structure.
“They are conceptual drawing not construction blueprints, but basically that’s it,” he said.
Before any demolition/construction can get rolling, the county must find office space to house the offices that will be displaced until the new quarters open.
Jones said he is working with a local architect on a “square foot survey” to determine what spaces are available in Jasper for temporary court space and how much space they need.
The commissioner described this as a fairly complicated process due to special requirements such as security for courtrooms and judges’ offices and handicapped access issues. Other offices, like the Clerk of Court, require secure and climate-controlled space to store records, but those records must also be available for public use on a daily basis.
Jones said they are considering some combination of space, using the upstairs of the current 911 Office, mobile courtrooms and reaching an agreement to purchase or lease the vacant doctors building next to the county’s admin building.
However, even if all those plans move forward, it would not be enough space to accommodate the Superior Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, as well as probation and DA’s office which will spend three years or more in the temporary location. Jones said the county is looking at rental space around Jasper to fill the need.
Jones said the use of the recently renovated Courthouse Annex (the lower marble building behind the main courthouse) is not clear. He said the county will use it as long as possible while the rear portion of the main courthouse is demolished. But Jones said he is unsure of the feasibility of using the Annex space very long once construction starts.
The county spent $240,000 to renovate the two-story Annex for temporary space, completing the project only months ago. Jones defended that expenditure saying immediate action on the leaking building was needed and that there was no way to know if the SPLOST would pass or not.
Jones said he doesn’t foresee any massive traffic issues on Main Street relating to courthouse construction.
With the size of the lot where the courthouse sits, they should be able to keep all construction equipment contained within a security fence, he said.
He said side streets may see a few delays but not for any extended times.
An option the commissioner said he wants to explore with the city during construction is making Depot Street and Court Street both one-way and connecting around the courthouse. Both streets connect around the courthouse now as two-way streets.
One immediate step: Jones is forming a citizens group to offer input on the planning process. He didn’t have any names ready to present Thursday, but said he is gathering a potential list.