Police Jury: Old courthouse renovation costs an estimated $3 million

VIDALIA, La. — If officials are going to fund the restoration of the old courthouse at 405 Carter St. in Vidalia, they are looking at an estimated $3 million price tag, Concordia Parish Police Jury President Collin Edwards told board members Monday.

While it wasn’t on Monday’s agenda, District 2 Police Juror Kenny Simpson asked for an update on the courthouse project just before Edwards gave the estimated cost of $3 million.

Simpson said he’d like to see that price “in writing.”

“If you ever plan on restoring it, you got to know what you’re looking at,” Simpson said. “There has to be some grants out there.”

Simpson made the motion Monday to obtain a written assessment of the courthouse renovation project and the motion was seconded by District 1A Police Juror Maurice Bachus before it passed unanimously.

The courthouse was built in 1939 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It has served a variety of uses through the years, including housing parish and school board offices, for court, a jail and a library.

Through volunteer efforts of the Vidalia Beautification Committee and with the City of Vidalia’s support, the courthouse square has been decorated for holidays and is slated for improved flowerbeds and a new flagpole in the front square.

Beautification committee member Cassandra Lynch has said the courthouse interior “could use some love” and be put to use as a welcome center, tourist attraction and more. However, neither she nor the Town of Vidalia has the rights to restore it since the courthouse belongs to the parish. Lynch told the police jury, “It’s your courthouse.”

“I want to make sure people are aware that Vidalia has this historic building,” she said.

Since March, Lynch and Joseph Parker signed up to join a committee to look at restoring it that doesn’t include any police jury members. The remaining members of that committee still has not been finalized, Edwards said after Monday’s meeting.

He added that the last time any work was done inside the building would’ve been around 70 years ago, and the committee members responsible for that work are noted on a plaque mounted to the wall inside.

“We’ve talked about it, but it never seems to go anywhere,” Simpson said during the meeting. “If we’re serious about doing something, we need to get something in writing and then know what we need to apply for and where. There’s a lot of space there and we could be doing something with it. And it’s a historic landmark.”

In other matters, the police jury heard a presentation from Tim Vanier in the absence of Concordia Fire District No. 2 Chief Vick Brown stating that a mutual aid agreement between Concordia Fire District No. 2 and Ferriday Fire Department with its new chief Danny Cupit is in proper working order.

The mutual aid agreement states that the fire district will assist Ferriday with any calls as needed and Ferriday will assist Concordia within an established boundary outside town limits to ensure enough equipment and manpower is available during fire emergencies.

The police jury also reappointed William Miller to another four-year term on the Concordia Parish Airport Authority board and a change order with a $43,442.13 cost for repairs to the Boggy Bayou Road bridge.

Ordinance violations for grass and weeds were noted on Freeman, Concordia Park, Eagle, Stephens, Airport and Audubon Acres roads. No other actions were taken on Monday.

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