It’s been called the ugliest courthouse in Georgia. Many have recommended taking a wrecking ball to it because of the decaying eyesore it’s become. Now, Habersham County commissioners are exploring how much it would cost to demolish the old county courthouse in Clarkesville.
Exploring options
Acting on the Habersham County Development Authority’s recommendation, commissioners voted to request quotes for possible demolition. They want to find out how much it would cost so they can determine if and how the county could pay for it.
Commission chair Ty Akins stressed the county is simply exploring its options.
“This is just a request to get quotes. It’s not indicating that it’s going to be torn down anytime soon. It’s just that we want to know what that cost is,” he said during Monday night’s monthly commission meeting.
Last July, the county received its latest appraisal on the courthouse property. The appraised value came in at approximately $900,000 minus the cost of demolishing the courthouse.
Recently, county commissioners and development authority members met with Clarkesville city leaders to discuss the future of the property. Habersham County Manager Alicia Vaughn said the meeting went well. She believes partnerships can be developed and added they are committed to working together.
Working together
The county-owned building and its adjacent parking lots consume over two acres of land in Clarkesville’s downtown district.
Vaughn explained to commissioners that, at present, the county had not identified any funding sources to pay for potential demolition. However, she added that she’s confident they can secure funding with the county and city working together.
Vaugh also indicated that local officials have set up a meeting with the Department of Community Affairs.
“There are a couple of grant opportunities out there that we can apply for that may potentially provide funding to demo the courthouse,” she said.
Talk but no action
There’s been a lot of talk through the years about what to do with the old county courthouse. Built in 1964 with a putrid yellow brick facade, it’s a monstrosity in the center of town. There’s been talk of renovating the building into an upscale apartment complex with shops or possibly a senior living community. There’s also been chatter about building a hotel at the site.
While many ideas have been floated around since the county vacated the building five years ago, none have stuck.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about the courthouse. The development authority put it out to bid for people to buy it. We got, for the record, one bid,” said Habersham County Commission Vice-Chair Bruce Harkness.
Since there was only one bid and no indication that anyone else was interested, the bid process automatically renewed, according to county finance director Tim Sims. The development authority put the process on hold after Clarkesville imposed a six-month moratorium on apartment construction.
“There were rumors people had millions of dollars ready to buy the courthouse and didn’t bid,” said Harkness. “Those people that said they had the millions didn’t bid.”
