County wants public's input on consolidation proposals

Cape Girardeau County officials are seeking the public's help in weighing proposals for a new consolidated courthouse that were presented last week.

County commissioners announced Friday their intention to form a citizens advisory committee, which according to a news release will "assist the commission in determining which option(s) would best serve the needs of citizens in the coming years."

The commission hired an architectural firm to conduct a facilities study and present a proposal for consolidating county facilities from current locations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson into one location in Jackson. Treanor Architects of St. Louis presented a three-option proposal last Monday. All of the options could be built on property the county mostly owns in the uptown Jackson square.

The first option would include building a three-story courthouse, renovating the existing Jackson courthouse to hold the commission, county clerk and public defender offices and renovating the administration building at 1 Barton Square to hold remaining county administration offices.

The second option would move most county operations into a new four-story courthouse, replace the administration building with a two-level parking garage and place the county's emergency operations center, public administrator and public defender offices in the current courthouse.

The third option would move the county administration building and courthouse operations into one new building and include a parking garage, though it would be built at the southwest corner of the current jail. The new courthouse would sit between the jail and existing courthouse and cause a rerouting of U.S. 61. The existing courthouse would be remodeled for use as a drug court, public defender and administrator offices and building support.

The proposals outline the county's facilities options through 2030.

The citizens committee, according to the release, will be tasked with reviewing the options and determining which would be best for the county's residents. The committee also will be asked to explore funding options.

Anyone interested in serving on the committee can call the commission's clerk, Vicki Ivy, at 204-2494 or email commish@capecounty.us.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said the size of the committee and time to establish it will depend on the public response the commission receives. The commission will also consider residency when forming the panel.

The commission also is forming plans to talk with officials from the city of Jackson about the options and the potential changes county buildings could have for the uptown area.

"We're going to make sure everybody is as involved as they want to be," Tracy said.

The Missouri Department of Transportation also will likely be involved in discussions of the third option -- the potential reroute of U.S. 61 -- because it would involve changes in roads for which MoDOT has jurisdiction.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO