Work has begun renovating the Harris County Courthouse annex on Cypresswood Drive, which took on several feet of water during Hurricane Harvey, but the future of the facility will be determined after working with a mitigation consultant, Harris County Engineer John Blount said.

The building could continue operating in the same capacity after renovations, or it could serve a different role in the future, he said.

The building houses a courthouse, constable’s office, sheriff’s office and other county services. The facilities are each working out of alternate sites during construction.

“Maybe you could make this a community center and move the courthouse to some place much higher,” Blount said.

Sheetrock and flooring have been removed from the building and it is now undergoing a dehumidifying process to prevent mold growth, he said.

One potential location for the services in the future is a 172-acre county-owned parcel at Hwy. 249 and Holderrieth Road where a service center for Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle is currently being built, Blount said.

The location would offer more office space and parking for the facility, he said.

“When we bought that property, we bought it with the intention of eventually putting the courthouse and annex there,” Blount said.

The determination of whether to move the facilities now or at a future date will be made after meeting with the consultant, he said.

“It’s certainly not tomorrow,” he said. “If I had all the money sitting in my pocket we still have to design it and build it— in reality [it] takes two and a half to three years to design and construct.”