Carter County Courthouse adding new parking lot
Published 2:55 pm Wednesday, January 11, 2023
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Star Photo/Robert Sorrell Two buildings were demolished for a new parking lot next to the Carter County Courthouse.
Star Photo/Robert Sorrell Work is being done to prepare the parking lot to be paved.
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BY ROBERT SORRELL
Star Correspondent
Two recently demolished buildings will soon be replaced by a new parking lot next to the Carter County Courthouse.
Crews recently demolished the two buildings at 824 E. 2nd Street and 836 E. 2nd Street, which were located adjacent to the historic county courthouse and across the street from St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
“It will be a parking lot for employee parking and any overflow parking for courthouse business,” said Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby. “We have several days during the week where parking is becoming an issue to the point of having no parking.”
Woodby said to alleviate parking issues for local residents who need to do business at the courthouse, the county is installing a new parking lot.
The cost to construct parking is $72,000 and Woodby said the county highway department will pave the lot. The cost is for materials only and not labor, she added.
“This price could also be lower once they are able to see the exact amount of stone and asphalt mix that is used,” Woodby said.
Woodby said the $72,000 price tag is only an estimate.
The Budget Committee on Monday approved to fund $20,000 of the costs. That motion will head to the full commission next week. The mayor said she already has the remainder of the costs in her budget.
Last year, the county commission approved a motion to appropriate $87,292 to demolish the two buildings. The county has owned the properties since 2003.
One of the buildings, the single-story frame structure at 824 E. 2nd Street, previously housed the Carter County Planning Commission. The county leased the second two-story brick building to the state. It served as offices for state probation officers.
The buildings were also located behind the historic Alfred Moore Carter home, which was built in 1819.
The two houses that were demolished were not considered historic structures. The Planning Commission has since moved to 300 N. Main Street.
The parking lot is expected to be completed within a month, according to the highway department.
