Major renovation begins on downtown Columbus courthouse this week

A major renovation project geared toward making the historic U.S. post office and courthouse on 12th Street more secure has started this week.

The $6.72 million project will add an area where prisoners can be brought into the building and eventually the courtroom without contact with court personnel, witnesses, jurors and residents.

The 83-year-old, Depression-era building serves the dual purpose of federal courthouse and downtown post office and will continue to do so, but the improvements for the court side are necessary, said U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia Chief Judge Clay D. Land.

“Although the Columbus Division federal courthouse is an architectural gem that should be preserved, it was built in an era that did not present the security issues we face today,” he said. “But constructing a new courthouse that meets current security standards would cost in excess of $50 million. We have found a fiscally prudent way, with the help of Congressmen (Sanford) Bishop and (Tom) Graves, to address our security deficiencies, save the taxpayers millions of dollars, and preserve one of the most beautiful and historically significant federal courthouses in the country.”

Land has pushed for the security improvements, as well as upgrades for the audio and air-condition system in the building’s primary courtroom.

Work on the security details started this week and should be completed in 12 months. Most of the construction will be on the back side of the building, near the loading dock primarily used by the postal service.

A sally port, which will allow law enforcement to bring prisoners into a secure area, and a new elevator are being added to the building.

“The way it is currently, if a prisoner needs to use the elevator, they have to use the public elevator,” Land said.

The addition will also created a secure second-floor walkway that will allow prisoners to be brought from the hold area directly into the courtroom without accessing pubic hallways.

Work on the heating and cooling system, as well as the audio system in the main courtroom should be finished well before the next scheduled trial in September, Land said. The large air conditioning vents in the ceiling of the two-story courtroom have been removed and replaced with smaller, more efficient vents that blend into the decor of the ceiling.

Land has been holding his court hearings in the Magistrate’s courtroom on the third floor.

The work should not impact people doing business at the post office and checking boxes, court officials said.

The main work on the front of the building will be a handicapped ramp entrance near Second Avenue, Land said. That work is not expected to begin until late this year.

A small number of short-term parallel parking spots along 12th Street in front of the courthouse will be removed late this year, court officials said. Those parking spaces are being eliminated to create a security buffer in front of the courthouse.

The federal courthouse is one of the most distinctive structures in downtown Columbus. It was finished in 1934 at a cost of $239,572 on land between First and Second avenues that was purchased for $110,000.

The architectural style of the building is compatible with the characteristics of the Second Renaissance Revival of the early 20th century, according to information supplied by the court. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1980, being described as “the best example of government architecture in Columbus” and “exuding an air of 3 government stability, which was so important after the Depression.”

The project is being managed by the General Services Administration. The architect for the project is Houser Walker Architecture from Atlanta; and the general contractor is Cooley Construction from Oklahoma City.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Major renovation begins on downtown Columbus courthouse this week."