Courthouse Crumbling, in Need of Millions in Repairs

The Fayette County Commissioners Court took a step toward a major courthouse restoration project.

At their meeting last Thursday, April 9, the court approved a courthouse master plan update from the firm Komatsu Architecture. They also authorized staff and Komatsu to pursue a courthouse restoration grant from the Texas Historical Commission. The grant offers a 50 percent match for qualifying projects.

The Commissioners ultimately decided tackle the most urgent needs – masonry repair and extensive window replacement. They voted unanimously to authorize staff to pursue the grant to fund those projects.

Even with the 50 percent match, the work is expected to cost the County several million dollars.

“Just to remind you of what you have here, your building was from 1891,” said Marie Oehlerking-Read, head of historic preservation with Komatsu Architecture. “You did restore it in 2006, so it’s been about 20 years since the full investment was made on the building, and it’s just time to work on it again. It’s like changing the oil in your car.”

Recently, the County completed roof repairs that stopped water intrusion problems that the building had suffered from for many years.

“Now we’re just kind of seeing the delayed symptoms a couple years later,” Oehlerking- Read said.

Oehlerking-Read said the building requires some “surgical repairs” to fix corroded metal that anchors the stone masonry. The windows also need to be replaced. She said much of the work requires special skilled labor due to the historical nature of the courthouse. Those two components will cost an estimated $5 million.

She also identified some lower-priority upgrades, such as a new elevator system, handicap-accessible parking improvements, security improvements and irrigation work to keep the lawn sprinklers from spraying the building. Those projects would add another $2 million to the project. However, Oehlerking-Read advised that County staff may be able to complete some of that work in-house.

“I think its a great thing,” said Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom. “It’s a lot of money. My big questions now is, how are we going to pay for it?”

McBroom asked whether the County would need to borrow money through certificates of obligation (COs). County Auditor Cindy Havelka said the County will finish paying off an outstanding CO in 2027, and an outstanding tax note will be paid off in 2028.