Courthouse construction

By Patti Dozier

May 03, 2008 10:23 pm

— THOMASVILLE — The Thomas County Judicial Center, also known as the new courthouse, is happening.
A Thomas County government official said the best thing about the structure is the space — 40,000 square feet of space.
“It’s 40,000 square feet we don’t have now. That’s 40,000 to the good,” said Mike Stephenson, county manager.
The structure will be built at North Madison and Washington streets with money from a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).
The building will cost about $10 million. Jack Pyburn of Atlanta is the architect.
Voter registration, Probate Court, the clerk of court, a sheriff’s security office and a multipurpose conference room are on the first floor.
“We have a spacious main lobby open to the second floor,” Stephenson said.
The east wall of the building has many windows to provide light to both floors.
The second floor will house the solicitor, district attorney’s office, a judges’ suite, a large courtroom, two small courtrooms, several jury rooms and holding cells.
Thomasville-based Superior Court Judge Jim Hardy said courtrooms will be functional, accessible, safe, secure and designed to efficiently accommodate the public.
“They all belong to the public,” Hardy said about the courtrooms.
Hardy and other judges have met with architects several times.
The third-floor courtroom in the historic courthouse will be used for county commission meetings and overflow court.
Probate Court will have seven work stations, compared to four now. “That’s just one example,” the county manager said about space.
The main lobby area will have three levels of security. Officers in the glass sheriff’s office will monitor the main lobby.
“They will be watching people as they walk into the building,” Stephenson said.
The bidding process is under way for general contractors.
“We have seven contractors we expect to receive bids from,” Stephenson said. Thursday, May 15, is the bid deadline.
“The schedule is for the bids to be awarded May 19,” Stephenson said.
Tuesday, July 1, is the projected date for beginning construction, which is expected to take about 18 months.
The historic courthouse, built 150 years ago, will be renovated/restored as soon as offices there move into the new building.
No time frame has been established for the historic courthouse project, which is expected to cost about $6 million in SPLOST funding.
It has not been decided which county offices will be located in the historic courthouse after renovation/restoration.
Because of space problems, county commissioners left the courthouse a couple of years ago. County commissioners are renting office space office.
Commissioners have discussed occupying the third floor of the historic courthouse after renovation/restoration.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 220.

Photos