Dale County Courthouse to undergo renovations

Residents stopping by the Dale County Courthouse in Ozark may notice some changes in 2014.

The Dale County Commissioners have given the green light to a far-ranging plan for extensive renovations to the courthouse annex, and the first round of repairs are expected to start Jan. 6.

According to Dale County Commission Chairman Mark Blankenship, the project will start by changing out all of the windows and doors.

Blankenship said the ceilings and windows have had a mold and mildew issue for years because of condensation coming from the original chilled water, air conditioning system.

“The condensation drips water and we’re constantly having to change out ceiling tiles,” he said. “The unit is the original unit to the courthouse and it just needs to be updated to a more modern unit.”

Blankenship said the courthouse will be upgraded to a more up-to-date heating and air conditioning unit that will include a thermostat in each room and a timer system.

“We’ll be able to better control the cooling or heat in the courthouse,” he said. “Everything will be set up on a timer system, to include the lighting, where we can shut it down on weekends, holidays and nights.”

Other changes to the courthouse include adding a fire sprinkler system, making the bathrooms handicap accessible and having all visitors enter the building through one entrance.

“Everybody will go (through) a security guard,” Blankenship said. “Now we have it set up where (residents) only (go through) a security guard if (they) want to go upstairs or downstairs. The first floor is not the highest security, but it will be once we do this renovation.”

Blankenship said the entire project will increase security measures, solve mold and mildew issues and help energy costs.

“The courthouse was built in ‘68 and very little has been done to it since then, and we’re looking at going in there and totally redoing it,” Blankenship said.

Improvements to the annex are expected to cost anywhere between $2.5 and $3 million.

Blankenship said the commission is currently working with Frazier Lanier, an investment banking company, to apply for a bond issue to fund the project.

Once the renovations are complete, the commissioners estimate about $94,000 a year in savings, which will help pay the bond issue.

Blankenship said the commission has approved about $190,000 in capital project monies to change out the windows and doors.

A timeline for the entire project is still uncertain, but work will be done in sections to provide minimal disruptions to the public.