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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Ind. Courts - More on Randolph County Courthouse
Joy Leiker has a story today in the Muncie Star-Press headlined "Randolph courthouse to stand -- empty?" Some quotes:
WINCHESTER -- Two weeks ago the Randolph County commissioners agreed to save the 129-year-old courthouse from demolition. But that doesn't mean they all intend for it to be used as a long-term home for county business.Commissioners Drew Wright and Ron Chalfant told The Star Press they don't consider the existing courthouse building, on the downtown square, a viable option for permanent courthouse space. The two men -- who previously favored demolition and construction of a new courthouse -- flipped their votes recently, bowing to public pressure to save the building, but said they haven't changed their minds.
Wright said his vote to save the building didn't mean he was going to agree to spend money on its upkeep or renovation.
"I don't see it as being a courthouse," he said of the long-term plan.
Wright and Chalfant both want to move county employees out of the building, perhaps to the former Winchester Wal-Mart store.
"We're going to move to get the tenant (county employees) in that courthouse moved out into a building that satisfies the requirements of the county offices," Chalfant said. "We don't meet ADA access in that old building. We do have a lift, but it's not that good. To come up to today's standards, we need to get out of that building and get in this Wal-Mart building."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 4, 2006 07:55 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts