Courthouse To Get Needed “Facelift”

At Tuesday’s regular meeting of the County Commission, a proposal was presented to the Board for utilizing grant funding which was previously allocated from the State to accomplish significant repairs and remodeling to our aging Court House Facility. A proposed architectural plan was presented by architect Paul Donofro, which he had fashioned with the assistance of Amber Baggett and Robyn Gable. These plans and the proposed renovations were endorsed by the Judiciary, Constitutional Officers, as well as Pat Crist, Pat Hart, and others who have previously endeavored to fund a renovation program for the structure which many feel is an eyesore which detracts from the appearance of Downtown Marianna.
The project would involve demolition of the existing entrances, walkways, porticos, store front windows, upper and lower windows, and much of the outer façade of the structure. These would be replaced with a more colorful exterior which would include energy efficient windows, brick facings in many areas, as well as inlayed brick in sidewalks, porticos, and stairways. The project would also involve adding a pitched roof to overlay the existing flat roof. Additionally, several areas needing repair would be included.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be between $750,000 and $800,000. These funds are already in reserve from grants for court house maintenance funding from the Small County Court House Grants-In-Aid Funds. Donofro emphasized that the plans are not finalized at this point, with several aspects of the work still under evaluation.
The Board approved proceeding with the development of the plans for the project. Once the plans are finalized, it is anticipated that the project would take approximately one year for completion, with progress somewhat hampered by the ongoing requirement for unhindered use of the court house during construction.