PRINCETON, W.Va. – Plans to move the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office from the basement of the Mercer County Courthouse to a new building are moving forward.
Mercer County Sheriff Alan Christian made the announcement during Tuesday’s county commission meeting that a deal to move to the Mercer County Professional Building has been finalized.
Christian says the move has been a long time coming. He says the basement area they currently work out of inside the courthouse is only around 1,600 square feet but their new future home is about 10,000 square feet.
Christian says the plan is to have everything moved to the new building by mid-summer. He says the move will clear up some space for those trying to park and access the courthouse.
“We’re going to be able to move all these parking spots that we’re taking up as a sheriff’s department across the street. So that’s going to open it up to the folks and be able to come in,” said Christian.
Renovations are being made to the professional building but he says the county jail will remain in the basement of the courthouse.
Christian says the cost to build a new jail space is too much but leaving the jail in its place will be better for safety and court proceedings.
Last March the Mercer County Commission voted to purchase the professional building for $1,750,000. The funding was available thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act.
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