Dougherty courthouse renovation plans could come in October

ALBANY – For a building that is nearing 60 years old, the Dougherty County Courthouse building is looking good for its age. But it is in need of a good makeover that includes providing courtroom functions and modernization. 

That was architect Mike Johnson’s assessment of the Judicial Building after an extensive evaluation and conversations with employees who work in the facility every day.

“There are portions of this building that are original and in outstanding shape,” Johnson, president of SRJ Architects, told Dougherty County commissioners during a Monday work session. “This building was built to stand up to time. Renovations that have been done piecemeal have been done well. There have been some good surprises as we walked through the building and looked at it.”

Mechanically, new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for the first three floors will be needed, and other equipment will need to be brought up to modern standards.

Security is a major concern, according to the architect.

“The biggest complaint I heard is the judges … they come out the door and they’re in the public,” Commissioner Ed Newsome said. “That’s not a good place to be.”

Changing that equation so that judges do not have to enter through public areas is a “challenge,” Johnson said.

Currently, the architect is looking toward to having the city’s 911 center move out of the building and returning the city of Albany’s Municipal Court to the structure. 

Municipal Court was moved out of the building after the Georgia legislature approved a fourth judge for the Dougherty Judicial Circuit, who was sworn in to office in early 2024. 

Potential sites for the 911 center include another downtown building or city facilities on Lily Pond Road.

Momentum for a master plan to renovate the facility began building around 2024, with requests from then-Senior Judge Willie Lockette and other officials to begin working on a master plan to address needs at the courthouse facility, which was completed in 1968.

Before submitting a plan, Johnson said he intends to examine the building again and speak with some of the shareholders who work there.

Johnson gave a timeline of late October for submitting the plan. Asked for a price estimate, he said the cost would be in the millions of dollars.