By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
County officials will show off two new courtrooms Wednesday, part of a $4.4 million upfit of the Rowan County Justice Center.
An open house is set for 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the third floor of the Justice Center.
The courtrooms are on the third floor of what was formerly the Rufty Building, a car dealership, that anchors the north end of the Justice Center, which was completed in 1995.
Workmen from H.M. Kern Corp. of Greensboro have converted a previously vacant area used by deputies as an indoor track to courtrooms, jury room and related offices.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge John Holshouser Jr. will be moving his office to the new section.
Holshouser will convene court in the new Superior Court Room and preside at a ceremony dedicating the new faculty.
Holshouser will make a presentation on the history of the courts in Rowan County.
Other court and county officials will participate in the ceremony.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners committed to the courtroom expansion after court officials cited the growth of caseloads and the lack of courtroom space.
At times, civil Superior Court sessions have been held in the county commissioners’ meeting room, and at the Rowan Museum.
The county now has eight courtrooms available for five District Court judges and one Superior Court judge. Three of the courtrooms can accommodate superior court sessions.
WareBonsall Architects of Charlotte did the design work for the project.
Other parts of the project, which have been completed, include a public entrance and lobby on Main Street for the Sheriff’s Office and a revamping and re-opening of the doors to the Courthouse off Main Street.
Due to security concerns several years ago, both sets of doors on Main Street were closed, leaving the only public entrance off Liberty Street.
Deputies and metal detectors are now at both the Liberty Street and Main Street (Clerk of Court) entrances.
The Justice Center on Main Street remains closed.
Work continues on the final piece of the project, completion of a 48-bed pod in the Detention Center.