CONSTANCE W. BIRCH
For goodness’ sake, let the county build a courthouse in Verona! There is not room for their needs in downtown Staunton. Their proposal for Lawyers Row and surrounding land was a monstrosity. The county courthouse belongs at the government complex in Verona.
Of course, that leaves us, Staunton, with the historic courthouse. That might be a problem for the Staunton Historic Society. Is the building structurally sound other than the leaky basement? A museum in part of the building and closing part of the building is the only thing that comes to mind. A friend of mine in a wheelchair had to take an open freight elevator to a second-floor courtroom, so renovations are needed. What
exactly is the economic impact of the court on Staunton?
There are no restaurants around the government complex and it is government land. Whose problem is that, and will entrepreneurs solve it? Where are the lawyers’ offices now? Walking to lunch and other offices will be a thing of the past. Lots of medical offices sprung up around the Augusta Medical Center. On second thought, perhaps the government center is not the place for the courthouse, but on a parcel surrounded by more open land.
I look forward to the discussion of the design of the new courthouse. Greek columns or a modern single-story? Brick or some composite?