HALIFAX (WSLS10) - After nearly four years of negotiations, Halifax County supervisors have settled the lawsuit filed against the county by a Halifax County judge over upgrades to the county's courthouse.
Businesses around the courthouse told us today that they are glad that the courthouse is finally going to get some serious upgrades, they just hope this time it's done right.
Over the next approximately 42 months, the Halifax County courthouse will be undergoing a roughly $17 million renovation.
"The taxpayers truly need, and the Commonwealth needs to assure, that the justice system here in our community works just like any other system in the Commonwealth," said Halifax County Administrator Jim Halasz.
The work is the result of a lawsuit filed by now retired judge Joel Cunnigham about four years ago in an effort to get the county to make security, structural, and cosmetic upgrades to the courthouse.
WSLS reached out to Judge Cunnigham, but he declined to comment.
John Greenbacker is a former Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney and now has a private practice across the street from the courthouse.
He says the first thing that needs to be addressed is security.
"We have attempted over the years, different times, to improve that situation, but it has never been an optimal improvement by a long shot," Greenbacker emphasized.
He pointed out that several years ago two suspects escaped from the courthouse because of the laxed security measures in the courthouse.
The building as a whole though, he says, needs a lot of work, saying it is a "wreck" on the inside.
"Plaster down, wiring hanging down along the ceiling, the pipes, the air conditioning equipment that is not even enclosed."
On Monday night, county supervisors voted to approve a consent order that outlines exactly what will be done to the courthouse.
Among the many requirements is adding barriers around the courthouse for protection from vehicles and explosions.
The order also calls for landscaping to replace some of the parking along Edmunds Blvd. in order to create a "buffer for the courthouse."
All of the furniture and furnishings inside the courthouse will have to be brought up to current state courthouse code and more soundproofing will have to be done.
The list goes on.
Several years ago, upgrades were made to the courthouse, but they were only temporary and those who we spoke to Wednesday say they want some reassurance from the county that this time will be different.
Break it down so the public understands what, exactly, this money is going for," said Conrad Chappell, who works at Peddler's Market across the street from the courthouse.
Ned Covington, who works at the law firm with Greenbacker, is a Halifax native and says he is sad that the building has gotten to the point of needing $17 million dollars in renovations.
"[The courthouse is] one of the best buildings in town and one of the best histories in the state of Virginia," Covington lamented. "I'm afraid that if we continue to kick the can down the road and balk at the price, the number's only going to go up."
As of Wednesday, the presiding judge had not actually signed the consent order but Halasz said he had verbally agreed to sign it.
There will be no public hearing on the consent order before it is signed, though Halasz said residents had spoken out before regarding upgrades to the courthouse and those comments were taken into account as supervisors worked out the details of the consent order.
The county already has a two cent real estate tax in place which is expected to pay for a majority of the cost, but Halasz says he cannot completely rule out another potential smaller increase in the future.