County building plan progresses

The first project of the Emanuel County Commissioner’s current building program will soon wrap up and prepare for its unveiling. It’s not clear if the impressive and imposing building situated right next door to the post office has been named yet, but generically and functionally, it will deal with the taxing operations of the county. Along with the office of the Tax Commissioner, it will also house the board of elections and board of accessors and appeals board. This building will also be the place you visit for your car tags and titles, as well as paying county property taxes. In short, this new building will handle all the government activities that are now handled in the Mitchell Building on the corner of Main and Main downtown, however, it will be much easier to get to. It will also serve as the location for voting in Swainsboro. Perhaps the most anticipated feature by the employees who will work there is the ample designated storage area that will be available for various operations, but without a doubt, the most anticipated feature for customers who visit the building will be the drive-through service window and the large parking areas surrounding the building. County Administrator Guy Singletary told the Forest Blade he is expecting a move-in date in mid-February.

Across town, another facilities project is now underway. The renovation of the John C. Coleman building has begun with removal of interior walls and spaces and the demolition of the former 1935 hotel floor plan. Officials involved in the excavation describe the structural integrity of the building as exceptional which will make design and construction phases simpler and less costly. Building plans and anecdotal comments from the original construction of the building indicate foundational footings at depths of more than 20 feet. When complete, the Coleman building will once again provide office space for the Board of Commissioners central operations, as well as meeting areas and administrative areas for the county and various other government agencies.

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