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December 13, 2009

Warren County freeholders approve spending for courthouse repairs, new library branch

Thursday, December 10, 2009
By BILL WICHERT
The Express-Times
WHITE TWP. | Warren County residents can expect to see two capital projects under way in the new year: a new library branch in Independence Township and extensive renovations to the county courthouse in Belvidere.

County freeholders signed off Wednesday on roughly $7 million worth of combined spending to relocate the Northeast Branch of the county library system as well as make repairs to the more than 180-year-old courthouse building.

The largest amount of the approved spending is going to Passaic County-based The Bennett Co. Inc., which was awarded a contract for about $5.8 million to renovate the courthouse.

Construction on the initial phase of improvements is slated to kick off within the next few weeks and be completed in 18 months, county Freeholder Everett Chamberlain said.

That work is to include constructing two new courtrooms, a new jury assembly area and basement inmate holding cells.

The improvements are planned to address concerns over the passage of inmates, who currently travel through hallways and stairwells to reach courtrooms. With the renovations, prisoners would be escorted from the holding cells into an isolated elevator then to a secure room. Prisoners could meet with their attorneys there or proceed directly into a courtroom.

Chamberlain said the courthouse renovations will "help us become more efficient in our service to the public."

County freeholders also adopted a capital ordinance Wednesday to allocate $1.1 million for the purchase of the new library building and other related costs.

The governing body has already approved the $900,000 purchase of the former farmers market building at 30-42 Route 46. That building is down the road from the existing Northeast Branch, where county officials have said space is tight and there are too few parking spaces.

Marking the first new branch location in nearly 15 years, the proposed building is nearly three times the size of the existing library and the parking lot can accommodate more than 50 vehicles. The new library could open as early as next year, officials said.

Reporter Bill Wichert can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3570, or by e-mail at bwichert@express-times.com.

Posted by tumulty at December 13, 2009 5:37 PM

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