Spartanburg courthouse, police station eye fall openings. City-County complex in design phase

Motorists will encounter a temporary lane closure near the new Spartanburg County Courthouse for about two weeks as the $120 million project nears completion.

County spokeswoman Scottie Kay Blackwell said a portion of Daniel Morgan Avenue from West St. John to Magnolia streets needs to be closed so crews can perform utility work for the courthouse project.

The closure began July 10 and will run through July 25. One lane will remain open for traffic for about two weeks. Then the street will revert to its current two-lane set-up, she said.

Spartanburg courthouse construction scheduled for completion in October

County Administrator Cole Alverson said after the new six-story courthouse along Daniel Morgan Avenue opens, the current courthouse on Magnolia Street will be demolished.

Construction of the 340,000-square-foot courthouse/judicial center began two years ago.

Alverson recently told County Council members the "final finishes" are being applied to the inside of the courthouse, such as painting, carpeting, flooring and doors.

"It's beginning to look like something," Alverson said.

The facility funded by a penny sales tax approved by voters in 2017 is expected to generate more than $217 million over six years.

The courthouse is a steel structure with a precast concrete façade designed to resemble marble. The building will have 17 courtrooms, one hearing room, a jury assembly room, jury deliberation rooms and shell spaces for future use.

The municipal and magistrate courts are on the lowest floors of the building, with the family and probate courts occupying the middle floors.

Also, space provides for courthouse functions such as Sheriff's Office security and court holding, Solicitor, Public Defender, Juvenile Justice and Guardian ad Litem.

Departments in the current 66-year-old courthouse will move into the new courthouse when it opens. Then the old courthouse will be demolished.

County Clerk of Court Amy West Cox said the move to the new courthouse should begin by late November or early December. She said details of which offices will move first will be released closer to the move.

Spartanburg police headquarters work moves inside

Meanwhile, the exterior of the new city police department headquarters is nearly finished as most work has moved inside, such as electrical and air conditioning, Alverson said.

The new 45,000-square-foot facility, at the intersection of St. John Street extension and Wofford Street, costs $13.1 million and is also funded by the voter-approved penny sales tax.

City spokesman Christopher George said the new two-story building should be ready for occupancy by mid-November. The police department has been operating from City Hall since the 1960s.

Spartanburg central fire station set for fall opening

The city's new $10.4 million central fire station will be at 450 Wofford St. The building is undergoing renovations. The city bought the site in 2019 for $4.3 million and approved a $6.1 million contract for renovations. It is expected to be operational this fall.

City-county government complex is the next major project

The next big project is the construction of a new city-county government center at the current site of Spartanburg City Hall on 145 W. Broad St.

The joint complex will be 189,000 square feet and will house all the city departments currently at City Hall, except for the police department, fire department and municipal court.

It will also house all county departments currently in the county administration building on North Church Street, except for the Coroner's Office and Public Defender's Office.

Estimated to cost $52.3 million, it too will be paid for by revenues from the 2017-approved penny sales tax. The project is expected to be completed in 2025, with 18 months for design and two years of construction.

The complex will include a parking deck with up to 600 spaces.

"The city-county complex is still currently in the design phase and we anticipate seeing the first renderings for that project later this summer," George said.

Alverson said departments at the existing City Hall will move to temporary locations during construction.

"Once all city functions have moved out of City Hall toward the end of this calendar year, we will abate and demo the existing city hall building, likely around the start of the calendar year," Alverson said.

Bob Montgomery covers Spartanburg County politics and growth and development. Reach him via email at bmontgomery@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg courthouse, police and fire stations near completion