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Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Commissioners favoring new courthouse near current building

County commissioners said they’re determined to build a new courthouse, and for now most of them seem to want the new building just a few doors down from the current courthouse on Mulberry Street.

At $79.5 million, that site would also be the cheapest to build.

“All the questions were answered for me at the present site,” County Commission Chairman Sam Hart said.

Hart and three other commissioners told The Telegraph they were at least leaning toward the Mulberry Street site, even though a majority of commissioners had been favoring an Oglethorpe Street site near the current Law Enforcement Center. The current site of The Telegraph is also being considered.

The commissioners are scheduled to make a decision Thursday morning, when they’ll begin pushing for a new sales tax to pay for the building.

None of the projects would use the existing courthouse for courtrooms. Architects said the building is simply too small. Instead, the existing courthouse would be partially renovated into office space for government offices, potentially accommodating parts of a Macon-Bibb County government consolidation.

If Mulberry Street is picked, a four-story courthouse would be built in a parking lot next to the Grand Opera House. According to plans, the county would also buy up the IBM office building at Walnut and First streets, turning that into a large parking garage.

County commissioners are also discussing buying the BB&T bank building for $8 million, which could reduce the demand for parking.

Without BB&T, the Mulberry Street plan comes in at $79,489,372, somewhat cheaper than an $80.4 million project at The Telegraph site and much cheaper than a $85.8 million project on Oglethorpe Street.

A sales tax vote could be held in July.

To contact writer Mike Stucka, call 744-4251.