Improvements to Cole Co. courthouse on hold

Future plans for the Cole County courthouse remain on hold Wednesday.

Cole County Commissioners met to discuss the future of the courthouse. $3.5 million in improvements are expected to be made, but the decision everyone is waiting on is just when they will begin.

The improvements would help fix problems with the jail, by essentially tearing it down and building a better facility to suit the needs of the courthouse.

Additional court rooms would be added because officials said Cole County has the 3rd busiest judicial circuit in the state.

Other improvements include working on other things like making outside ramps more ADA accessible and working on renovating the structure of the building to fit the needs of moving the Carnegie Building employees move over the to the courthouse.

“Looking on the going forward basis, if we’re going to do these additions and it’s a substantial construction project we need to look at how to work with the other entities too and solve all of our problems one at a time and come up with a plan,” said Presiding Commissioner Marc Ellinger.

The commissioners said in the next several weeks they’d like to decide when construction and planning will begin. Depending on the budget it could be this year or in the next few years.