2 weeks Ago By Mike Jones
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office moved into its new space in the Crossroads Center in Washington this week, becoming the last department to vacate Courthouse Square and paving the way for the demolition of the former county office building. The department began moving into the first-floor office in Crossroads last week and continued working Monday so it was open for business Tuesday morning without interruption for residents seeking gun permits or needing other services from sheriff’s deputies. “We transitioned over (Monday) with the help of (the county’s) building and grounds crew, and tried to keep business as usual,” Sheriff Tony Andronas said.
“It was a tedious day.” The transfer of the sheriff’s office into Crossroads is the final piece of the puzzle as the courthouse’s various row offices have been playing musical “office” chairs as county officials look for enough room as they plan to demolish Courthouse Square in order to construct a new public safety building on that parcel. The sheriff’s department in Suite 110 of the first floor is where the coroner’s office was stationed the past few years, but has been moved to the former Tri-State Supply building on West Chestnut Street the county purchased last year.
Deputies will also have office space in the courthouse where they’re typically stationed for security, and at least one division within the department will be located at the Washington County Airport for the time being. The first-floor location in Crossroads for the main sheriff’s office will offer a convenient location for the public when applying for gun permits, inquiring about sheriff’s sales or asking questions about serving court paperwork. Workers were still organizing boxes and getting settled in their new office Tuesday morning, but the staff and deputies were able to process paperwork upon request.
“People expect to come to the county campus and see the sheriff’s office,” Andronas said of the prime location. “I was happy with the staff. They pulled it off.
We were the last to go. We are probably one of the bigger agencies.” With the move now complete, the county expects the demolition of Courthouse Square could begin soon, with preliminary work starting as early as next month, county Chief of Staff Daryl Price said Tuesday.
Last month, the county commissioners unanimously approved a $1.555 million bid from Adamo Demolition Co. of Detroit to bring down the former county building and parking garage that sits behind the Washington County Courthouse.
A new public safety building will eventually be constructed in its place, allowing for some of the row offices that have been scattered across the county campus the last couple of years to move into that location. County officials have not announced a timeline for how long the Courthouse Square demolition process will take or when the new public safety building will be completed..
