The Douglas County Board of Commissioners has announced remodeling and construction from the Douglas County Courthouse Security Project have been completed.
Closed since February, the front entrance of the courthouse, 8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville, will open again at 8 a.m. Aug. 13, according to a county statement.
Dr. Romona Jackson Jones, chairman of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, said, “This will be the only entrance and exit for the general public at this time since enhancing new security measures. The side entrances, commonly known as Truth and Liberty entrance, will now be closed and used as emergency exits only.”
When visiting the courthouse, now visitors “will notice an expanded waiting area and multiple screening stations for convenience,” said Rick Martin, the county’s director of Communications and Community Relations. “The Sheriff’s staff will be able to operate multiple stations during peak times to move visitors more quickly through screening.
“Once visitors clear the screening area, they will notice a more open flow to all areas of the courthouse,” Martin said. “Both sides of the atrium will be open to allow visitors to freely access all departments within the courthouse facility. New signage will direct visitors to new office areas for certain county departments.”
Finally, courthouse visitors no longer will be able to drive around to the back of the facility.
There was no loss of parking, Martin said, but the rear of the courthouse now will be a restricted area for secured parking and inmate movement.
What began as an office space expansion study in 2008 finally moved forward in 2017 when the Board of Commissioners contracted with Comprehensive Program Services (CPS) to provide the county with an updated security evaluation for the courthouse facility, Martin explained.
The CEO of CPS, Eric Johnson, said, “This project demonstrates that - through the leadership of the Douglas County Sheriff and his staff, the judges and the Board of Commissioners - the citizens of the county can feel more secure and take pride in their renovated courthouse facility.”
Information: CelebrateDouglasCounty.com/view/news/view1news/&cnews=1399
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