Hancock County Executive Summary

The Hancock County courthouse consists of the original courthouse and a newer, attached portion that serves as the main courthouse. There are four buildings which constitute the courthouse complex. We propose converting the existing main courthouse into administrative offices and adding a 50,000 square feet judicial annex. The existing magistrate court building would be torn down and that area would be converted in to parking.

We recommend remodeling the interior of the courthouse and converting it into administrative offices. Tapered insulation and a new EPDM membrane roof should be installed to obtain a positive drain and to eliminate the ponding problem. The exterior of the building needs cleaned and missing bricks replaced.

The Magistrate Annex is located in a building that is really an old, small house with additions. We recommend demolishing the existing building and moving the magistrate’s court to the new judicial annex proposed on the main courthouse report. The existing courthouse complex parking is very limited; therefore, we recommend that a parking lot be installed in the space now occupied by the building.

The Health Department annex is located in a two story brick building, which was constructed in 1941. To modernize the building, we recommend the following: cleaning the exterior; installing a new roof; installing a fire alarm system with emergency lights and enclosing the exit stairwell. To make it ADA compliant, we recommend installing ADA compliant restrooms on each floor, providing elevator access to all floors, providing an accessible parking spot to the building, and installing lever handles and ADA signage throughout the building. A geotechnical/structural engineer should be consulted to investigate the stability of the slope and the building. The electrical and mechanical systems need to be improved by replacing the wiring, connections, distribution panels and disconnects and by installing a new HVAC system for the building.

Space is a premium in the courthouse complex. The county is currently storing documents six miles away. Constructing a new judicial annex would alleviate this space problem.

The cost of remodeling the existing courthouse for administrative offices, demolishing the Magistrate Annex and converting it into parking spaces, upgrading the Health Department Annex, and constructing a new 50,000 square feet judicial annex would be approximately $10,282,320.

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