ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Members of the Orangeburg County Council are planning to build a new courthouse.
The county administrator says the current building was built nearly 100 years ago and this is long overdue.
“We just don’t feel like it’s worth putting significant money in there to renovate. You know, we think it’s time to build a new courthouse," said county administrator Harold Young.
Over the years, Young says the county has invested money into renovating its courthouse. Built in 1928, the building has had leaks and other issues, and has now run its course.
“It’s been renovated several times so the bones of the building have been messed with three or four times," said Young.
The courthouse will be funded with an installment purchase bond and could cost between $30 to $50 million. In the new courthouse, Young says they will need additional family courtrooms with more space.
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They will also need a space that could accommodate more advanced technology like wireless broadband and new security cameras.
“It’ll have more modern features that will help us work with the court system to process and adjudicate at a faster rate to get these criminals out of our jail," said Young.
The county plans to meet with designers to decide a layout for the courthouse and how much space it will need. This will help them decide the best location.