New county complex in planning stage

Davel’s plan creates two new buildings, tears down courthouse, incorporates library
By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

Shawano County is making plans to eventually have a new county complex with the construction of a justice center and a multi-use building that would culminate in the demolition of the 1950s era courthouse.

Administrative coordinator James Davel made his initial pitch to the county’s public property committee June 1 to address the county’s future, noting that waiting to take action on the proposal would be much more expensive.

Currently, Davel is notifying property owners west of the courthouse of the county’s interest to buy their property to provide sufficient space for the multi-use center. In that building, the county’s main library would be relocated there, and most of the county’s existing offices in the courthouse would also move, including the county board room.

The only offices that would not be going in the multi-use center would be any for the circuit court system. Those offices would go into a proposed justice center, which Davel tentatively has located between the county jail and the evidence storage facility built a few years ago.

Davel pointed out that the courthouse might look functional on the outside right now, but the facility’s interior systems are malfunctioning bit by bit and are expected to cost a lot to fix or update in a few years.

“What is the future of Shawano County? A courthouse? A potential justice system?” Davel said.

He pointed out that the courthouse’s main entrance has remained largely unchanged since the building was constructed in 1956 for $1 million.

“I think we can do better as a county on this stuff,” Davel said.

The issue of a future library has been something the county has been looking at for years, as that building has outgrown its purpose and is showing its own signs of decay. Davel pointed out there’s a company that’s over at the Shawano branch removing mold from its carpeting.

“That continues to be a major issue moving forward,” Davel said about the library.

Tackling the issue now instead of waiting until later would be good stewardship of county monies, according to Davel, who noted that the efforts to build the evidence storage facility took around 20 years to reach fruition.

“I really believe one of the responsibilities of the supervisors is to set up the county for the future,” Davel said, noting that the board had previously approved $350,000 to be utilized for designing a justice center but never went anywhere.

Davel also noted that the new human services complex built in the Town of Wescott recently was one that should not have taken as long to accomplish, pointing out that all the money the county spent renting at the Lakeland Center and Fellman Center in Shawano could have been put toward building the complex at least twice.

“These are issues that aren’t going to get better, and they aren’t going to get cheaper,” Davel said.

Issues with the courts are something that could be resolved with a new justice center, according to Davel. He pointed out that center would be connected to the county jail, preventing officers from having to escort inmates across the street to the courtrooms for their hearings. Davel noted that, at least once a week, deputies have to go over to the courthouse to deal with some disruption.

“As you know, we are an open courthouse,” Davel said. “Security is an issue here. I believe that should be addressed.”

Chillers had to be replaced in the courthouse for a cost of $350,000 recently, according to Davel, and the server room has issues with water leaking in. The elevator system was recently replaced, as well, but it caused a disruption in services, especially for elderly visitors who couldn’t climb the stairs to the second-floor courtrooms.

Planning for the complex is expected to take at least a year, with the overall project being completed in five, Davel said. He plans to approach the county board this summer with a resolution asking the county to commit to up to $50 million in bonding, and then letting the work proceed from there, with the board making decisions along the way to approve plans and concepts.

“When Noah made the big decision to build a boat, he didn’t have to make the decisions on which animals came aboard,” Davel said in a biblical reference. “He wasn’t wrapped into what it looks like. That comes down the road. You first have to make the decision.”

Davel pointed out that incorporating the library has to be a part of the overall complex, feeling the county doesn’t have the capacity to approve a separate library building while trying to develop other county facilities.

The existing courthouse, once torn down, would be utilized for parking and green space, according to Davel.


lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com