By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Minimal construction is expected when county government officials move into the Barren County Courthouse on the Glasgow Public Square.
A new justice center is being built on West Main Street. When it is finished the current residents of the courthouse — the circuit court clerk’ office, family, circuit and district courts — will move into the new building.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd told Glasgow News 1 that the judge-executive’s, the clerk’s, and the sheriff’s offices will move across the street to the current courthouse.
She said only minor construction would be needed at that time, like removing some dividing walls and installing a new door on the ground floor.
“The only construction we’ll have to do with workers is [creating] a double door entrance at the bottom of the courthouse that will fit with the historic design,” Byrd said. “The only time that exit at the top [of the steps] will be used is in an emergency situation.”
“We’ll keep the facade, just not use that entrance,” she added.
Several improvements are currently taking place, Byrd said, including changing to LED lights, changing ceiling tiles. Those will be paid for by the Administrative Office of the Courts, Byrd said.
“We’re doing improvements along the way so that when we do take ownership of [the courthouse] we don’t have a lot of costs,” Byrd said. “We’re planning ahead.”
Byrd also mentioned the county is applying for a federal $1 million grant, which can be used on older buildings to modernize them for use.
The Barren County clerk’s office will primarily occupy the first floor, the sheriff’s office will be on the second, the judge-executive and the fiscal court chambers will take the third floor with the fourth floor being rented out to a governmental agency, according to Byrd.
Assuming everything goes as planned, Byrd said they plan to move into the courthouse in the fall 2028 as the 58,000-square-foot new justice center is set to be completed in June, 26, 2028.
The county attorney’s office will relocate to the third floor of the Barren County Government Center at that time from its West Main Street building, Byrd said. The Commonwealth’s Attorney Office is currently occupying the second floor of the building.
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