Main
Courthouse
|
Component |
Current Status |
Recommendations |
Cost |
|
General Exterior |
The building was originally built in 1837 and was rebuilt in 1922. The main courthouse is approximately 14,850 square feet and consists of a basement, 1st, 2nd, and attic levels. It is not registered as a National Historic Structure. The exterior of the main courthouse is in good condition. There is a drainage problem on the east side of the
building. The landscape dips quite a bit to a lower elevation. This forms a
bowl shaped area, which happens to be an The gutters and downspouts are rusting. P81 The paint on the dental molding trim around the building is peeling. P82 P83 There are 4 buildings in the courthouse complex, one of which is at an offsite location. |
We propose converting the existing main courthouse into administrative offices and adding a 50,000 square feet judicial annex (See “Space Requirements” and “General Interior” below). The new judicial annex would house the circuit courts, magistrate courts and family law courts. The new prosecuting attorneys office would be located in the remodeled main courthouse building. The existing magistrate court building (offsite) should be abandoned and sold. The Old Jail and WPA buildings would be demolished. This site would be used for the new judicial annex. Replace the gutters and downspouts with 6” half-round, lead-coated copper gutters and 4” diameter, lead-coated copper downspouts. Eliminate the ponding behind the courthouse by grading and repaving the area to achieve a positive slope away from the building. Seal the basement to eliminate the water seepage problem. Paint the exterior trim work and molding around the building. |
See Old Jail and WPA Detail Reports $5,500 $7,000 $ 3,000 |
|
Exterior Walls |
The brick masonry is in good shape with good mortar depth. There does not appear to be any cracks in the exterior brick walls. The window AC units and the water collected from the window ledges are staining the brick. P81 Many other areas of the brick exterior are dirty. |
Clean the exterior masonry. |
$21,600 |
|
Roof |
The roof was replaced in 1996 with a new copper roof. It is in excellent condition. Some areas are moderately pitched while others are low pitched. P85 P81 Attached is a cropped photo of a photo showing the old roof and the roof pitches and style. Access to the roof and bell tower was not granted at the time of the inspection due to court proceedings. There is reportedly a water and pigeon problem at the bell tower. |
Fix the water problem at the bell tower. Clean the pigeon feces and eliminate the pigeons. |
$10,000 |
|
Windows and Doors |
Exterior doors were heavy steel doors with glass and were recently painted. P79 Some windows are single paned and wooden while others are single paned and aluminum. All of the windows are old. |
Replace all windows with new commercial grade windows. |
$40,000 |
|
Fire Safety |
All of the exits are marked and are equipped with panic hardware. P79 The courtroom has several exits that are well marked. P58 The building has a fire alarm system. P76 The building has emergency lights with battery backups. P73 Fire extinguishers are located throughout the building. P74 The stairwells are free from obstructions. They are open and are not enclosed by doors. P88 There is no sprinkler system in the building. |
Enclose the stairways. The cost is included in “Remodel Interior” below. No sprinkler system required. |
See Remodel Interior Below |
|
ADA |
The building had been recently brought up to ADA standards. There were no strobes in the ADA bathrooms. The main entrance door was very heavy and is hard to open. There is no lift to the judge’s bench. There is an elevator. P14 P17 P18 P19 P20 |
Install automatic door opener on the front door. The building shall become fully ADA compliant through renovation. Cost is included in “Remodel Interior” below. There will be no need for judge’s stand lift in this building after it is converted to offices. |
See Remodel Interior Below |
Structure
|
There were no overloaded floors noticed in the courthouse. There was evidence of some water leakage in the maintenance office in the basement, which is causing a wall to deteriorate. There is some cracking above a door on the first floor. P2 |
See “General Exterior” above for recommendations on correcting the leaky basement. Consult a structural engineer to determine the extent of the damage that is showing up above the doors. |
$2,500 |
|
General Interior |
The courtroom chairs are wooden with cast iron frames and hinges. They are old and uncomfortable. The wood is cracking and the chairs are breaking. P59 P63 Paint is peeling in several locations throughout the building. |
The courtroom and courtroom chairs will be eliminated after the court is moved to the judicial annex. “Remodel Interior” includes all new flooring, paint, interior doors with ADA hardware, ceilings, light fixtures and keyed switches, receptacles and bathrooms. Remodel Interior of the courthouse and convert into administrative offices 14,850 square feet |
$1,945,500 |
|
Security |
There is a card-slide access system and cameras present at restricted locations including certain document storage areas, judge’s chambers, offices, judge’s entrances and hallways. There is a metal detector present at the entrance. It is only used during high profile cases or suspicious activity. It was unplugged on the day of the visit. There are reportedly many problems with the E911 center and their transmission capabilities. |
Reuse the card access system and install a new security system during renovation. We recommend relocating the E911 center to the new judicial annex. |
|
|
Electrical |
The electrical panels in the courthouse were cutler-hammer and square D types. Some panels were old. The wiring was in good condition throughout. Romex wiring was noticed in some areas of the basement, especially in the coal furnace room. Lighting in some areas of the courthouse is old and needs updated. Some rooms have newer lighting. |
Replace all wiring, panels, connections and lighting during renovation. The cost is included in “Remodel Interior” above. |
See Remodel Interior Above |
|
Mechanical |
The courthouse is heated by a coal-fired furnace that is located in the basement along with the coal bin. P49 P48 P47 P45 P41 The coal furnace generates a lot of dust. The furnace heats the main courthouse and the WPA stone annex. There are some baseboard heaters. All air conditioning in the courthouse is provided by window AC units. The elevator is a new hydraulic type. The courtroom itself has its own HVAC system that was not accessible during the inspection. |
Eliminate the coal-fired furnace and window AC units and install a new HVAC system in the main courthouse building. The cost is included in “Remodel Interior” above. |
See Remodel Interior Above |
|
Work Safety |
There is asbestos on the ceiling in the basement furnace room. The ceiling was peeling from heat, age and coal dust. P44 |
Remove the asbestos from the ceiling in the furnace room. It will not be needed with a new HVAC system. The cost is included in “Remodel Interior” above. |
See Remodel Interior Above |
|
Space requirements |
Hampshire County is one of the fastest growing counties in West Virginia. Space is extremely limited at the courthouse complex. There is virtually no more space available for the storage of documents in the main courthouse. The law library is scattered throughout the courthouse due to lack of space. Office space is also cramped in the main courthouse. P3 P4 P5 P22 P28 P31 P38 The family court system rents a facility and the prosecuting attorney is part time and works in his private office. It is anticipated that Hampshire County will go from a class VI to a class V county in the near future and this will require that the prosecuting attorney be full time. The prosecuting attorney would then need a work space. |
More space is needed. Cramped space will be alleviated with the addition of a new judicial annex. New 50,000 square foot judicial annex |
$7,250,000 |
|
Subtotal |
|
|
$9,285,100 |
|
Soft Costs |
Professional fees, permits, surveys and studies |
20% |
1,857,020 |
|
Total |
|
|
$11,142,120 |
