BY ANDREW FAISON/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
andrew.faison@yahoo.com

ISLE OF WIGHT—The grand opening of the $10.5 million Young-Laine Courts Building adjacent to the Isle of Wight County Courthouse will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 7.

“It is a very ‘green’ building,” said County Supervisor Stan D. Clark, “It is a very energy efficient, extremely attractive building. We have received compliments from attorneys and judges all across the Commonwealth.”

The first Circuit Court case was heard in the courthouse on Dec. 8 with General District Court as well as Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts beginning the following week.

Construction of the courthouse, which is named for two prominent, judicial Isle of Wight families, began in June 2009.

Original bids for the construction were expected to come in around $16.5 million, but that cost was reduced due to economic conditions. The Board of Supervisors awarded a $10.5 million contract to Kenbridge Construction to build the 46,347-square-foot building adjacent to the county’s administration building on Route 258.

The building houses three courtrooms. On the first floor are the county’s general district and juvenile and domestic relations courts. The circuit court will be housed on the second floor.

“The good thing about this courthouse is now they are able to run all three courts at the same time, which we were not able to do in the old courthouse as we only had two courtrooms,” Clark said. “We would have to alternate days for court, which was inefficient.”

Additional facilities include the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, Clerk of the Court offices, holding cells and a records room, which will be named after Randall Booth.

The new building will give the courts 32,000 more square feet than the former 29-year-old courts/public safety building.

“The building allows for growth as Isle of Wight grows over the next 10 years; this courthouse should serve us well over the next 25 years,” Clark said.

The Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Department has occupied the bulk of the space in the old courthouse, including the old General District and Circuit Court rooms.