Future Jefferson County Judicial Center (left)
As the Jefferson County Commission continues working through the details of acquiring two buildings to serve as the future home of the county’s administrative offices and judicial center, the City of Charles Town is turning its attention to the future of the Washington Street buildings currently occupied by the County (see photos below).
County officials have stated they remain on track to finalize the purchase of the new properties in early July 2025. The County plans to pay $23.552 million to purchase the two buildings and spend an additional $11.5 million over the next two years on renovation and relocation expenses — $2.5 million for the county administration building and $9 million for the new courthouse building.
Earlier this spring, the City partnered with Charles Town Now, a local non-profit organization that focuses on downtown vitality, to identify a consultant who could evaluate redevelopment options for the Washington Street properties. In early April, the City received a proposal from Place and Main Advisors. The proposal outlined an $80,000 plan to conduct a market assessment and develop redevelopment concepts and implementation plans.
To discuss the proposal and request partial funding from the County, the City submitted a request to be added to the agenda of the County Commission’s May 15 meeting. However, the Commission did not place the item on its official agenda.
During the May 15 meeting’s public comment period, several county residents urged the Commission to act more swiftly in planning for the reuse of the downtown properties. At the end of the meeting, the Commission announced that it would host a community discussion on July 17 — after its purchase of the two new buildings is expected to close — to begin public conversations about the future of the Washington Street sites.
The Charles Town City Council then met on Monday, May 19 to discuss its concerns that the County was ignoring the urgency of beginning redevelopment planning for the downtown properties. After a lengthy executive session, the City Council voted to direct its staff to draft a letter formally requesting time on the County Commission’s next meeting agenda to address the issue.
The letter from the City, sent on May 21, stated that “we are confused and frustrated at the inability to actually begin a constructive dialog with the [Jefferson County Commission],” and highlighted concerns that delay would risk the buildings falling further into disrepair. The letter also expressed concern that the County appears to have assumed that the City would be interested in purchasing the buildings. It cited actions by County Administrator Edwina Benites-LM, who had reportedly contacted “several banks on the City’s behalf to solicit possible financing options” without consulting City officials.
According to County Commission President Pasha Majdi, the Commission is not yet ready to enter what he described as “phase two” discussions concerning the future of the Washington Street buildings. He emphasized that the Commission must first finalize the financial framework of the “phase one” plan which involves acquiring and renovating the two new buildings.
Majdi noted that two major components of the financing for the new building purchases — the interest expense for the County’s $16 million debt and the calculation of impact fee revenue that could pay a portion of the debt service — have not yet been finalized. He added that the County’s financial plan for the project also assumes revenue from the eventual sale of the Washington Street buildings. However, without a confirmed market value for these buildings, and the cost of debt and impact fee projections still in flux, the Commission cannot yet determine how much flexibility it will have in negotiating the terms of any sale.
“I’m interested in collaborating with Charles Town,” Majdi said. “And I think all of the elected officials want to have a big-picture strategy discussion. But I need to know the budget numbers before we proceed and talk about specific plans — otherwise it’s all just speculation.”
The County Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for June 5.
The Mason building on Washington Street, which currently houses the county’s Engineering Department, is one of the buildings to be vacated.
Both the Moffett building (left) and Reininger building (center) on Washington Street, which currently house the County Assessor’s offices, will be vacated. The Smoot building (right) has been flagged as unfit for habitation and is currently vacant.
By Steve Pearson