Micheal Hale, Barren County judge/ executive, inspects a document. Hale is one of the members of a project development board overseeing the construction of a new judicial center in the county.
(WCLU NEWS FILE PHOTO)
BY BRENNAN D. CRAIN, WCLU News
GLASGOW — Negotiations to acquire land for the construction of a new judicial center in Barren County are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
The Barren County Judicial Center Project Development Board met for its regular meeting Wednesday afternoon. The board voted to secure appraisals on a site and begin negotiations on the sale of the property.
The group comprises John T. Alexander, Barren Circuit judge; Gabriel Pendelton, Barren District judge; Rich Alexander, a representative of the Barren Bar Association; Joan Norris, a Cabinet for Health and Family Services representative; Krissie Fields, Barren Circuit clerk; and Micheal Hale, Barren judge/ executive.
The bulk of board discussions are unknown to the public or news media due to their happening behind doors in closed sessions. Site acquisition procedures are often conducted in closed sessions due to the private nature of prices and the group’s expectations.
Of the known information, some sites tagged with alphabetical identifiers were ruled out during earlier meetings while others stayed. The PDB moved Wednesday to secure appraisals and begin negotiations with the owners of parcels on “Site E.” It’s unclear where the site is located.
The locations of the potential sites have not been disclosed but speculations exist surrounding the varying possibilities. Certain churches near downtown, a multi-story office building and a large bank are among the potential sites, according to sources familiar with the search.
The county is working in conjunction with the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts. State lawmakers designated $32 million for the project, and the funding cannot be used elsewhere.
Demolition, site acquisition and preparation are grouped together within the board’s budget. Though the board has not issued a formal offer to any property owner, casual conversations have revealed higher prices and expectations from some of the various sites’ owners.
The project continues to remain on schedule. Officials hope to complete the project by late 2023 or early 2024. All judicial business will move from the current courthouse to the new building.
One or more members of the PDB are slated to update the Barren Fiscal Court about the project at the court’s next meeting. The state AOC leases the current courthouse from the fiscal court and will do the same with the new building once it is completed.