Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers has been asking for a long time where his promised new Sheriff’s Department headquarters is, and, at a Guilford County Board of Commissioners work session on Thursday, Feb. 17, he got much of that answer.
Eric Hilton, Guilford County’s new facilities director, gave the board a lot of new information on the project that sounds like it’s well underway.
The county commissioners began talking about constructing a new administrative office building for the Sheriff’s Department over a decade ago, but other projects took priority. Now, the county’s focus seems to be on the new administrative offices, which will be at the site of the old Guilford County jail on the corner of South Eugene Street and West Sycamore Street.
The main entrance of the new facility will be on South Eugene Street.
“We are working with Greensboro DOT on street closure plans,” Hilton said. “It’s going to be a fairly intensive effort on the number of terms. That’s going to take a lot of time to work out in the next few weeks.”
He added that the county was also actively working with utility companies given the demolition job.
Demolishing the solidly built old county jail on that corner will be no easy task.
In the meantime, work has also been proceeding on the design of the new building.
Hilton said the county’s facilities staff and the architect have worked well lately with the Sheriff’s Department’s team on design.
“We’ve done a lot of work to improve that design based on their input,” Hilton told the commissioners.
New floor plans are adding about 10 offices and parking plans are adding extra spaces since the new Guilford County jail on the same block needs more parking at certain times of the week.
“Our plan is to get the detailed design complete by May and issue another cost estimate,” Hilton said.
Then it can proceed to the bid process.
The county is planning to purchase steel as soon as possible given supply chain shortages. Facilities staff has also been actively seeking participation from MWBE firms.
The building (rendered above) is meant to look attractive.
“We’re trying to create an inviting space – not to look like a law enforcement center,” Hilton said. “It lets light in, so people can see in. It doesn’t look like a fortress.”
Great. A new Sheriff’s office, just in time for a new Sheriff to run Guilford County properly.
You beat me to the punch. Hopefully, the new building will never be occupied by the current Sheriff. Use your vote wisely this year.
Lol Just my thought!
Don’t forget those MWBE companies! You’re going to find some new start up’s before this contract is let.
BLM peaceful rioters will love all that glass.
And here I was thinking the cowboy just needed a new stable.
Just civil discourse
Too bad danny won’t be around to enjoy it. Come election time write in BJ.
If Danny Rogers had proceeded with the plans that Sheriff Barnes had already in place, the new offices would have been open and in use for a couple of years. Of course he wanted his own designs so everything was scraped and money already spent was lost. TOO BAD ROGERS WILL NEVER HAVE AN OFFICE IN THE NEW SHERIFF’S OFFICE! TIME TO HAVE A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN!
Ahhh, yes, the usual county caveat. MWBE. (white) Men Will Be Excluded (wherever possible.) Have Mr. Hilton explain to us once again how favoring minorities & women isn’t racist and sexist, because every logical definition I can find shows otherwise.
I think the current brutalist style Law Enforcement Center is more interesting looking. As new developments go, the new proposal might as well be in the suburbs.