BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Sullivan County commissioners voted to spend more than $2 million to help with the renovation and expansion of the Justice Center in Kingsport.
The county voted to give $2.6 million toward the modernization and expansion of the building at the corner of Shelby and Market streets.
The county’s money will go toward the total estimated cost of $8.8 million, the rest to be funding by the City of Kingsport.
Commissioners were told the city already has funded $600,000 in design work and requested the $2.6 million to cover the county’s responsibility for the jointly owned building which houses city and county law enforcement and court facilities.
The resolution approved Thursday night says the project will modernize and expand the current Justice Center facilities as part of a consolidation of courts and court clerks into one facility. The resolution says the project involves modernizing courtrooms to allow for virtual proceedings, and “an essential component of the project will focus on safety enhancements, including but not limited to a single public access point equipped with modern screening devices and technology, which will provide a more secure environment for judges, judicial staff, the deputy sheriffs who serve as bailiffs, court clerks and their staff, law enforcement officers, and the public.”
