Front of Courthouse Front of Annex
The Boone County courthouse was built in 1921 and is on the historic register. The courthouse is 17,754 square feet with three stories plus a basement. It has a stone foundation with no evidence of settlement. The walls are stone and could benefit from a cleaning.
The roof is covered with clay tile and has a metal dome. There are new leaks as well as previously repaired leaks. The roof and the flashing should be repaired. Some of the building’s windows are original and the wooden frames are rotting. Some of the replaced windows have broken panes. The windows should be replaced with historic profiles. The doors are in good condition.
The building does not contain a fire alarm system, a strobe system, a sprinkler system, or emergency lighting. There are two means of egress from each floor. We recommend that an alarm system and sprinkler system be installed.
There is a bad water leak that enters the basement from a storage room. A sump pump has alleviated the problem somewhat, but more action is needed. The basement floor is also not level. We recommend installing a French drain system on the left side of the building and installing leveling compound to level the floor as needed.
There is a phase III security proposal to install: Access control system; Duress alarm system; CCTV system; 2 Video intercom systems; Fire alarm system; Ballistic material; Shock belt; X-ray machine; Bullet proof Lexan material for courtroom door transom; A/C power installation for system; Two doors for magistrate court; One door for prisoner holding room.
The building’s electrical system is of major concern. The courtroom has only one outlet. The offices do not have enough receptacles and rely on extension cords to provide power. The building should be rewired and receptacles added as needed. We recommend installing an air conditioning package to supply the building. This will eliminate the window units and increase efficiency.
The building contains some 9x9 in. tiles which could indicate asbestos presence. We recommend that an asbestos study be performed. We also recommend that the stairwell to the basement on the right side of the building be upgraded to fire code.
The accessible parking spot needs enlarged. The restrooms need to be updated to meet ADA compliance requirements. We also recommend that lifts be installed in the courtroom for the witness stand, judge’s bench, and jury box.
The annex building was built in 1921. It is in good condition. The mortar in the brick needs cleaned and repointed. The building lacks a fire alarm system and a sprinkler system. We recommend installing both. The handicap access ramps need revised to meet standards.
We recommend installing a security system in the building appropriate to the use of the building which includes a courtroom, including: CCTV system; Metal detector and x-ray machine; Limited access to the building; Ballistic material for judge’s bench; Security console; Duress alarms.
More storage and office spaces are needed. There are 7800 square feed of unused space in the jail not accounted for in the 1999 report. This space could be renovated for use as storage and offices since the regional jail now houses prisoners. We recommend renovating the remaining part of the annex for storage and office space.
Total cost of the project is $2,916,102.