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Hall County renovation raises space, cost and schedule questions for courthouse project
Summary
Hall County officials discussed space impacts, change orders and cost estimates tied to a courthouse renovation project, citing relocation needs for IT and storage, a $53,000 change order for elevator work that will require evening hours, and contractor estimates of tens of thousands for brickwork and footings.
Hall County board members discussed space, cost and schedule implications of a courthouse renovation, including storage and IT relocations, an elevator change order and contractor cost estimates.
Board members and staff said the project will require relocating items now stored in the basement — including IT equipment and election storage — and could force future decisions about moving the Veterans Service Officer (VSO) office and courtroom-adjacent functions to other space in the county. The board was told a previously issued change order of about $53,000 is driving schedule adjustments for elevator work.
The change order will push noisy elevator work into evening hours on several days to avoid disrupting court operations, according to staff. Separately, a contractor estimate provided to the board showed about $48,000 for brickwork, plus additional footing work “in the $50,000‑something” range, which staff said would add to project costs if undertaken.
Officials discussed the layout of the county clerk’s and district clerk’s offices and a plan for the federal building that would place officers in cubicles with meeting rooms for clients. Judge Lee expressed a desire to keep his desk and a set of courthouse antiques in place; staff said workspace design would aim for efficient workflows and that outside vendors are available to build workstations.
No formal vote or directive to relocate offices or to approve the contractor estimates is recorded in the transcript. Board members and staff said the board would face additional decisions about where to move basement-stored equipment, how to fund added work, and whether to accept the contractor proposals as presented.
The board did not set a final course of action during the discussion; staff flagged the potential for additional cost and relocation work as items for future board consideration.
