Habersham County debates the future of its long-retired courthouse

Credit: Habersham County Board of Commissioners

Officials in Northeast Georgia's Habersham County are trying to figure out what to do with their old courthouse.

The hulking 1960s structure hasn't been used for years and looms vacant over Clarkesville's former town square, now a parking lot.

Clarkesville-based urban planner Lew Oliver has drawn up plans to transform the courthouse into apartments.

"If we can get our square restored and our courthouse rebuilt, it will serve the town well in attracting new vitality," Oliver said.

Other potential developers have looked at the building before and decided it's too run down to renovate.

Chairman Bruce Palmer said the county could turn it over to the area development authority, which has more tools to offer potential investors.

"The goal is to develop it in such a way that it would have a positive impact on the citizens of Clarkesville and Habersham County without going though the expense of tearing it down," Palmer said.

However, some commissioners don't like the idea of giving the building away.

Earlier this week, commissioners agreed to get an estimate on how much the old courthouse is worth.