The Montgomery County Commissioners Court on Nov. 5 approved accepting a grant from the Texas Historical Commission to pay for the design of restoring the county's courthouse.
The Conroe City Council and the commissioners court at separate meetings on Nov. 5 approved entering into an agreement for the local match.
The overview
It's the latest step in the county's plans to refurbish the courthouse to its original 1936 luster and eventually move most courts out of the building and into a new justice center in downtown Conroe.
In July, the county won a $1.8 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission's courthouse preservation program, according to agenda documents. For the county to accept the grant, the commission requires a local match of 30% or $773,249.
Montgomery County is going to split that local match cost with the City of Conroe.
What they’re saying
Jason Smith, deputy chief of staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, said funding from the state's courthouse preservation program requires the building to remain a working courthouse.
Smith, who spoke at Conroe's City Council meeting and at commissioners court, said the county in the next legislative session will try to get money from the state for construction. He dismissed concerns that incoming Democratic elected officials at the state level wouldn't support funding for courthouse preservation.
"I don’t think it’s partisan politics to preserve historical buildings and courthouses in Texas," Smith said. "I think preserving our courthouse … is way beyond partisan politics."
Smith told officials that the courthouse's wings, which were built decades later, aren't part of current plans for restoration. The Texas Historical Commission has also approved renovating the top two floors of the courthouse, which currently serve as jails, to allow for more courthouse space, Smith said.
Conroe's half, $386,624, will come from the city's hotel tax fund. Smith said he would consider asking Conroe to participate in construction costs for the restoration in the future.
"There’s no question that I think this will be a good thing for the city of Conroe," said Conroe Council member David Hairel, who initially raised concerns to Smith about the city's share in the match.
Both the city council and the commissioners court approved the agreements unanimously.
Final takeaways
Montgomery County is looking to build a justice center in the coming years that will house the majority of the county's courts. Commissioners were on track to ask voters to approve a bond to pay for the justice center but decided to delay the question.
Even when a new justice center is built, Smith said the current building "will always be the Montgomery Courthouse."
The architectural firm the county is working with also did the plans for restoring the Harris County Courthouse, which was built in 1910.
Smith lauded the firm's work in Harris County.
"I went and saw the courthouse ... It's like 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in real life," Smith said. "They preserved it so well."
