Form Walton Sun
Architectural firm Clemens, Rutherford and Associates is designing a new Walton County annex that will alleviate county office overcrowding.
?It?s just in its beginning stages,? Walton County construction manager J.R. Millard said. ?There?s not even a contract written.?
The proposed threestory, 60,000 square foot annex is going to sit across from the current government and education complex on U.S. Highway 331 South. ?It will be somewhat of a mirror image of the other building,? Millard said.
After reviewing proposals from three architectural firms, the Board of County Commissioners voted on Jan. 10 to begin negotiations with CRA. The company was responsible for the design of the Coastal Branch Library.
The BCC voted for the complex expansion due to overcrowding at the courthouse annex, which houses south county branch offices of the planning and building departments, code enforcement, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and circuit court judge. Recently, the county rented a 4,000-square-foot trailer to ease the problem.
?The county is hesitant to spend taxpayers? money, but (the workers) are on top of each other. There are literally three people in each 12x12 office space,? Millard said.
CRA will begin work on the project after a ?space needs? survey is completed.
The Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Branch Library and courthouse annex were completed in 2002 as part of the GEC?s first phase.
Under ideal conditions, Millard estimated the project will take about three years from design to completion. However, there is no definitive time frame.
Architectural firm Clemens, Rutherford and Associates is designing a new Walton County annex that will alleviate county office overcrowding.
?It?s just in its beginning stages,? Walton County construction manager J.R. Millard said. ?There?s not even a contract written.?
The proposed threestory, 60,000 square foot annex is going to sit across from the current government and education complex on U.S. Highway 331 South. ?It will be somewhat of a mirror image of the other building,? Millard said.
After reviewing proposals from three architectural firms, the Board of County Commissioners voted on Jan. 10 to begin negotiations with CRA. The company was responsible for the design of the Coastal Branch Library.
The BCC voted for the complex expansion due to overcrowding at the courthouse annex, which houses south county branch offices of the planning and building departments, code enforcement, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and circuit court judge. Recently, the county rented a 4,000-square-foot trailer to ease the problem.
?The county is hesitant to spend taxpayers? money, but (the workers) are on top of each other. There are literally three people in each 12x12 office space,? Millard said.
CRA will begin work on the project after a ?space needs? survey is completed.
The Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Branch Library and courthouse annex were completed in 2002 as part of the GEC?s first phase.
Under ideal conditions, Millard estimated the project will take about three years from design to completion. However, there is no definitive time frame.