Home Property options secured for Augusta County Courthouse expansion
Local, Politics

Property options secured for Augusta County Courthouse expansion

Chris Graham

Augusta CountyAugusta County has secured purchase options for nine properties surrounding the Augusta County Courthouse in Downtown Staunton.

The purchase of these properties will enable the county to develop a functional and secure space for the court systems while preserving the historic 1901 courthouse as an important focal point for Downtown Staunton.

The properties’ location will also avoid the new courts facility from being developed in a FEMA-designated floodplain.

At the next regular Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 23, the board will consider amending an existing contract with Moseley Architects to include services for schematic design, environmental studies, surveying, and structural analysis for the courthouse and its expansion.

The board hired Moseley Architects in 2018 to design facilities in Downtown Staunton that would comply with the state law that limits the county to building a courthouse on the current site or adjacent property.

That move came after a 2016 referendum to build a new courts complex in Verona was defeated by a 2-to-1 margin by county voters.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].