preserve the historic nature of the building. “We preserved a
considerable portion of the original facility while
remodeling portions to better serve the needs of the County
and the Court,” Hoecherl said.
As workers followed plans for the remodeling, they
saved crown moldings, doors, windows, and other
architectural detailing and matched the old with new, as
needed. “The tradespeople who came in went 110% to mimic
the 110-year-old baseboards and other details,” Byrnes
said. “When I first started seeing these spaces, when I saw
the finishing touches they were putting in – it exceeded my
expectations.”
For example, construction of interior walls was limited
because of the building’s historic nature. Plans called for
room dividers to designate office spaces. Byrnes said she
anticipated the usual dividers commonly seen to create
cubicles. Instead, she found dividers framed in wood that
looked like a structured wall. Although budget constraints
prevented the use of decorative stone in the interior,
specialized painting techniques provided the look of stone
without extra cost.
“I was really pleased. I think it’s beautiful,” Byrnes said.
“They were able to accomplish a lot in some areas with
limited resources.”
In the long run, the County benefitted from dedicating
so much time to analyzing the best option for the future of
government facilities, Simon said. “Technology has quickly
improved over the past 10 years. Wireless technology
allowed us to avoid invasive construction techniques in
historic rooms,” he said.
Unobtrusive flat-screen monitors allow presentations to
jurors and others without taking up much space in
courtrooms. The historic doors were retrofitted with
magnetic card access to provide security without detracting
from the building’s appearance. “We are pleased with the
dedication of the Ayres staff who stuck by us for many years
of planning and re-planning, and finally, delivered the three
building projects on time and within budget,” Simon said.
Visitors continue to marvel at the historic courthouse, he
said. He called the addition to and remodeling of the building
the “best of all worlds.”
“We found a way to blend the old with new,” he said.
“Hopefully we arrived at our overall goal of providing our
citizens with a product that they can more easily access, that
will be safer, and appears as pleasing as it has always been to
those who call this county ‘home.’ ”
The addition and remodeling project resulted in improved facilities
for jurors and County employees, provided a safer means of
transporting detainees to Court facilities, and preserved the
historic nature of the interior of the building.
TRENDS
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