Polk County Historic Courthouse Exterior Renovation Ribbon Cutting
During the spring, summer and early fall months the Polk County Historic Courthouse underwent extensive restoration to the exterior of the building as one phase in the referendum passed by voters in Nov. 2013 to reconfigure three buildings used by County and State judicial services.
A ribbon cutting will be held to celebrate the completion of the exterior of the Courthouse on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. on the sidewalk on the east side of the Courthouse, on the south side of Court Avenue (see below map). Remarks will be made by Supervisor Angela Connolly, Chief Judge Arthur Gamble and Polk County Attorney John Sarcone.
“The Polk County Courthouse is an historic building and it has been exciting to watch the transformation it has undergone this summer. We are proud of the work that has been done to restore the exterior of the building to its original condition,” said John Mauro, Chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors.
The work done to the exterior of the building included extensive cleaning that removed over 100 years of dirt and grime; repairing cracks and joints; and taking steps to further waterproof and preserve the building in order for it to remain an historic downtown building for many years to come.
Supervisor Angela Connolly commented that “this is just the first of many outstanding renovations that will take place over the next five years and when work is completed we will have a campus of three buildings where all of the County and State judicial services are located that will improve safety and make it easier for the public to navigate the courts system.”
The work is part of the $81 million referendum that will include a full renovation of the former Wellmark Building, the old jail and finally the interior of the courthouse. The next phase of the project is the renovation of the former Wellmark building, now known as the Polk County Justice Center, that will house juvenile, magistrate and small claims courts and the Polk County Attorney staff. Construction is scheduled to begin this December. Completion for the entire project is expected in Dec. 2018, nearly three full years ahead of the original construction schedule.
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