News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Improvements around the Overton County Courthouse almost ready to move forward after years of planning and preparation.
Downtown Revitalization Commission Chairperson Gene Gantt said they are wrapping up the last of the paperwork and expect to receive final approval very soon. Gantt said the project has taken so long due to a series of historical evaluations and T-DOT requirements they had to fulfill.
“It’s an outside project on the courthouse grounds to redevelop that,” Gantt said. “Put in better drainage for the building itself, put in uplighting, take the sidewalks, make the sidewalks and the grass area flush. There’ll be new flagpoles put up.”
Gantt said they hope the project will take about a month to complete but weather will be a key factor in the timeline. Gantt said the project will start in January of 2025 at the earliest.
Gantt said the improvements will impact some of the parking spaces around the courthouse while they are in progress.
“The courthouse is only used for a few things now,” Gantt said. “The clerk and master is there so it won’t interfere with their work.”
Gantt said they made sure to plan the project so that it would not negatively affect any holiday events.
“We have very important projects coming up on the square with Christmas in the Country,” Gantt said. “Following we have an arts festival coming. So we don’t want to interrupt those things that bring people to town that are highly sought after.”
Gantt said the county commission will have to decide whether or not it wants to continue meeting at the courthouse while the work is going on.
“The county has a really nice building that the county commission meeting could be held in that’s got plenty of room for that,” Gantt said. “And some people advocate for that anyway while others are advocating for the fact that county business needs to stay at the county courthouse. So it wouldn’t interrupt them for very long. If they had to move for a meeting or two it wouldn’t be a problem.”
