The Seminole County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Wewoka agreed to a feasibility study to help make a better-informed decision on whether they should invest in renovating the current Seminole County Courthouse or consider constructing a new building. During the discussion District 3 Commissioner Clifton Taylor and Wewoka City Manager Mark Mosely both stressed the citizens have expressed a strong desire to preserve the current historic building if possible.

Ben Smith and Matt Groves from Principal Design were joined by Trent Brown of Myers – Cherry Construction in a discussion with the commissioners concerning their options. Smith explained that he and Matt have 30 years of experience, almost exclusively with public works, including a lot of public schools, courthouses, jails, and correctional facilities. They are familiar with how courthouses work and the various agencies they contain. They stated that they didn’t know exactly what the commissioners wanted, but they were there to offer their assistance. Even if they aren’t able to start right away, they can help with a plan on how to get there. They can also help promote a bond issue or sales tax if need be. They are used to doing the “front end” work of investigating and presenting an estimate, knowing if a bond or tax doesn’t pass their work is basically for free. They are interested in the success of the job, whatever that might be.

District 1 Commissioner Russell Yott expressed his concerns about the condition of the courthouse and how cost effective a renovation might be. He pointed out the north wall is split down the middle, the basement floods, there are cracks in the floors, doors that won’t open, water running down the south wall, and other major issues.

Groves replied that sometimes there is a historical aspect that comes into play. He used for an example the renovation on the Pontotoc County Courthouse in Ada, where he spent almost seven years working, detailing the challenges they faced during that time. This included major structural reinforcement just to make it sound before they focused on making it efficient. Smith augmented those stories with some of the challenges they faced working on the Washita County courthouse in Cordell, which they completely gutted before adding a modern data system and geothermal heating and cooling. He observed there may be economy in building a new courthouse, and it wouldn’t require the scramble to find places to house the agencies that are located in the courthouse while the renovation is in progress. Groves stated he likes

Groves stated he likes to work with hard numbers, and they had a network of construction managers that helps them arrive at an actual cost instead of just trying to throw some numbers around.

Trent Brown of Myers – Cherry Construction explained he has worked with Smith on the Pontotoc Courthouse, Pittsburg County Courthouse and some preliminary work on the Hughes County Courthouse, which had some of the similar problems such as the floors cracking and the basement flooding. Brown recalled the words of a person he had worked with in the past, who reminded him they weren’t renovating a property just for their generation. They were instead renovating for their children and their children’s children. He told the commissioners he knew how hard it is working for the public and trying to please everyone. Most people don’t understand the weight commissioners carry on their shoulders when it comes to making this type of decisions. He told them they can’t please everyone, and they need to instead consider the long-term goal of what they are trying to accomplish, including function and aesthetics while working within a budget. He works with the Principal Design representatives to get the commissioners the numbers they need so they can decide what is doable.

The commissioners noted that they have been working with the City of Wewoka, which has offered them the three -story building on the north side of the courthouse to use in conjunction with the current building. This would provide space for some of the agencies in the courthouse to spread out. It would also provide a temporary home if there is renovation work on the courthouse. They suggested the City of Wewoka be included in the conversation before they made any firm decision, and City Manager Mark Mosely and Mayor Paige Sherry agreed to join the meeting.

After being updated on the discussion, Mosely confirmed the offer of the building next door, which he believes could be renovated to match the courthouse. He noted the building is sturdy and already has an elevator. The City’s main goal is to fix up and revive Main Street, and they want to partner with the commissioners to see what it will take to preserve the courthouse. He also raised the possibility of seeking FEMA money to build a safe room in the empty space between the two buildings. Mosely agreed there are some challenges to preserving the courthouse, admitted he was aware it might not work, but he would like to consider all options. Once a decision is reached, they will work together with the commissioners to convince the citizens to support their decision, whatever it might be.

The commissioners agreed to proceed with the feasibility study, and they will then get together with the City of Wewoka when the study is completed to decide how to proceed from there.