GAFFNEY — Cherokee County's nearly 100-year-old courthouse needs repairs and more space to meet the needs of staff members who often find themselves in cramped rooms or make-shift conference areas to conduct daily business.
Located on East Floyd Baker Boulevard, the neo-classical style courthouse was built in 1929 and serves as a reminder of the past. All that's certain about its future is that something needs to change.
It's possible the county will expand the existing building or it could be scrapped altogether, with a new courthouse built elsewhere — maybe on land near the Cherokee County Administration Building on Railroad Avenue. County Council has taken no action on the matter
But time is ticking on the courthouse's future. Cherokee County Clerk of Court Brandy McBee, who has held the position for 23 years, said the existing courthouse's functionality is waning.
A 2013 feasibility study showed the need for either expansion or a new courthouse. More than a decade later, there's still no progress made on how the county will address the issue. With mounting needs across the county, including a desire by some to build a new Cherokee County Detention Center, it's unclear if and when the county will decide to spend money on either expanding the courthouse or building a new one.
"It would be great if we could build onto the current courthouse," McBee said. "The county also has a lot of space at the County Administration Building on the side where a new courthouse could be built. We need to have all our offices under one roof again and free up all our cramped spaces."
McBee said there continues to be a backlog of cases, and the staff continues to be overworked. Having more than one circuit courtroom will help alleviate future backlogs. She's not necessarily pushing for a brand new courthouse to be constructed. The best case scenario would be to add onto the current courthouse, she said, keeping the historic building intact for future use by the judicial system. Right now, there's not enough space to conduct routine business in a more comfortable setting.
A new parking garage might be needed, if an expansion or addition to the courthouse were ever approved. The floor in the courthouse's basement is chipping and the paint on the walls is deteriorating. The courtroom has occasional leaks through the roof into the side walls. Carpet has been replaced in some areas of the courthouse in recent years. For McBee, it's been a long waiting game to get any help from Cherokee County Council.
She's spent her own money to buy furniture, including desks and chairs for meeting rooms at the courthouse.
"There is growing reception that we need a new courthouse," McBee said. "I think we are starting to see some changes with the mentality on the council. Their goal should be more than just not raises taxes when you have critical needs including at our jail. We do need a new courthouse, but I think our jail needs to come first. It is a more critical need than this building. There are more needs in the county than we have got money."
In recent months, Sheriff Steve Mueller has renewed a push to have Cherokee County build a new detention center. It could cost up to $90 million to build a new jail. The current jail was built in 1997 and designed to hold up to 150 inmates. The jail's average inmate population is about 260. The most it ever housed at one time was 372 inmates.