Spartanburg Countys courthouse project starting to show progress – Spartanburg Herald Journal

Taxpayers and courthouse users should finally see work underway this month at the site of a new $152 million Spartanburg County judicial center.

Taxpayers and courthouse users should finally see work underway this month at the site of a new $152 million Spartanburg County judicial center.

Silt fencing has been erected along the north side of Library Street, between Daniel Morgan Avenue and Magnolia Street, for construction of the new 647-space parking garage.

The parking garage is the first part of the project, County Administrator Cole Alverson told county council members last month.

A more detailed project update will be presented at Monday's July 20 meeting, he said, along with timelines for each phase.

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the county council chambers at the county administrative office building, 366 N. Church St., Spartanburg. Citizens may access the meeting at this web address.

"You haven't seen a lot of very public and elaborate visual updates of what's happening because it's been sort of the nuts and bolts, brass tacks work behind the scenes that has to occur in order for a big complicated project like this to transpire," Alverson said.

"It will be the visual things you'll start to see with more frequency now."

The overall $224 million project includes replacing the existing 62-year-old courthouse along Magnolia Street with a new judicial center along Daniel Morgan Avenue, and a plaza where the existing courthouse now stands.

Also included is a new $65 million city-county municipal building to replace the existing City Hall and Spartanburg County Municipal Building.

The rest of the funds, an estimated $7.5 million, will go toward highest priority road projects in the county.

To pay for the project, taxpayers in 2017 approved a temporary 1-cent sales tax increase.

Last month, Alverson said Turner Construction has moved onto the site of the parking garage project, and fencing around the site was erected.

Most of Library Street will be closed, while work also begins on a temporary parking lot for judges at the St. John/Magnolia Street corner of the site, he said.

Next, a central energy plant will be erected on the southwest corner of Library Street and Daniel Morgan Avenue. The plant will supply power to the new judicial center.

The old courthouse annex behind the current courthouse will be demolished to make room for the new judicial center, with construction starting in early 2021 and taking up to 26 months to complete.

The temporary judges' parking lot will move to Library Street, with a separate entrance built for judges to enter the courthouse, Alverson said.

Once the new courthouse is finished and opens, the old courthouse will be demolished and a new, landscaped plaza will replace that part of the site facing Magnolia Street.

A site has not yet been chosen for a new 180,000-square-foot city-county government complex and parking garage. Design is scheduled to start this fall, last 18 months, and be followed by two years of construction with occupancy by mid-2024.

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Why is a new courthouse needed?

According to the May 2017 report by Justice Planning Associates Inc:

The Spartanburg County Judicial Center, which opened in 1958, is overcrowded and does not meet modern standards with respect to security or technology.

The building is unable to provide separate and secure zones for the public, prisoners, judges, jurors, and court staff. This creates a safety issue, as well as potentially compromises the integrity of the judicial process.

The building opened in 1958 with three courtrooms, and over time, that number has grown to 14 courtrooms. The added courtrooms are located in converted office space, with inadequate room dimensions and low ceiling heights.

The majority of problems cannot be fixed within the existing facility, regardless of the amount of money spent.

Other specific issues:

* Overcrowded public and staff spaces

* Most courtrooms do not meet recommended standards

* Inaccessible spaces for some members of the public, including witness stands, jury boxes, and jury deliberation room toilets

* Lack of conferencing and victim waiting spaces near courtrooms

* Prisoner detention spaces do not meet modern detention standards

* Inadequate heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems

The buildings around the existing Judicial Center are also inadequate and cannot continue to support justice system functions. These buildings exhibit similarly poor spatial, operational, and physical conditions as the Judicial Center.

The building has experienced water intrusion (and mold) problems in the past which the County has attempted to correct, but which are likely to continue to occur due to the buildings age and construction.

Why is a new city-county government complex needed?

According to Spartanburg Countys website:

The existing City Hall and the County Administration Building, both constructed in the early 1960s, are more than 50 years old. Both facilities were built prior to modern codes and standards.

Both facilities have physical issues that impact operating requirements. Those issues include: inappropriate accessibility for mobility-impaired persons; insufficient power and data supply for modern technology; and inadequate heating, ventilation, and cooling.

The County Administration Building is a former Sears Department store, which was adapted for governmental use. Although the building has served its purpose for approximately 30 years, there are issues with respect to public service, security, and availability of natural light.

The building is experiencing structural problems to include water leaks and adequate ventilation. The most overcrowded spaces are those with the highest volume of public contact, such as the Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer. The crowded conditions can result in extended wait times and loss of confidentiality.

Nearly all components in the City Hall are suffering from some degree of overcrowding, with the Police Department and Municipal Court are in particularly inadequate space. Due to differences in the nature of operations, functions such as the Police Department, Fire Department, and Municipal Court are not typically co-located with general governmental administrative functions, such as the City Council, Mayor, and Finance.

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Spartanburg Countys courthouse project starting to show progress - Spartanburg Herald Journal