After a brief pause, Habersham County officials are now ready to move forward with plans to demolish the old county courthouse building in Clarkesville.
A release from the county's public information office Thursday said the building is no longer in use, but plans to demolish it were recently put on hold.
“We paused plans for demolition after hearing that some developers might be interested in renovating the existing structure,” Habersham County Commission Chairman Ty Akins said. “What we found is that it seems most developers prefer a clean slate, you might say, where they can begin work immediately rather than being delayed by the demolition process.”
The next step is for the county to advertise for bids for the demolition project. Money to pay for the work is being fronted by the city of Clarkesville and the Habersham County Development Authority. A proposed intergovernmental agreement would see that money repaid within 10 days of the property's sale.
One the building is demolished, the development authority will begin advertising the property to developers. Clarkesville City Councilman Franklin Brown said he's excited for the project to move forward.
“The City of Clarkesville is ready, willing, and able to work with the county and the Development Authority to make our dream of redevelopment come true,” Brown said.
The building on Monroe Street opened in 1964.
