County Commissioners Pasha Majdi and Cara Keys take in the view of the historic courthouse from the future county administration building.
The Jefferson County Commission took a final vote today to authorize $16 million in debt to finance the purchase of the two new buildings that will serve as the future county administration and judicial center.
Before the commissioners voted on the 20-year debt obligation, Commission staff shared the details of how the county will pay for the project. The upfront purchase price of the two buildings together will be $23.5 million. The county plans to use $7.5 million in cash previously set aside in its “capital outlay” fund for this purpose and $16 million in newly-issued debt to complete the deal.
The county’s next step will be to renovate the larger building (393 North Lawrence Street) which will house the county administration offices. The staff estimates that the county will pay $2.5 million, also from the “capital outlay” fund, in the next six months to reconfiguree the space. The Commission has reserved an additonal $1 million to pay for the legal expenses and other closing costs (the Commission staff reports that it has incurred roughly $500,000 in transaction-related expenses so far).
According to the timeline shared at today’s meeting, the county will fully move into this building by the end of 2026.
The staff described a much more complex renovation project for the smaller building (330 North George Street) that will house the Circuit, Magistrate, and Family court facilities. The current estimate to convert the building into a courthouse is $9 million.
The County Commission does not currently have the funds to cover this conversion expense. The staff presentation outlined a multi-part funding plan that includes pursuing $2.5 million in federal grants and $347,000 in state grants, and selling the buildings on Washington Street currently occupied by the county.
During the past several months, the City of Charles Town has raised numerous concerns about the County’s lack of planning for redeveloping the Washington Street properties. The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) also expressed concerns about the county’s approach to the Washington Street properties, announcing yesterday that PAWV has placed the Charles Town Historic District, including the historic courthouse, on its Most Endangered Properties List.
Commission President Pasha Majdi attempted to allay at least one of these concerns during today’s meeting, when he asked his fellow commissioners if any of them supported selling the historic courthouse — to which they all shouted an emphatic ‘NO!”
Published 2025 June 5; updated 2025 June 19 (added closing costs).
By Steve Pearson