FAIRHOPE, Ala. — On Dec. 16, the Baldwin County Commission approved a major addition to the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse.

“Now that we’ve approved the master plan, (the architect) will go back and do the final plans and designs,” said Wanda Gautney, county purchasing officer. “Then we will get authorization to pre-qualify the bidders. After that, we will put the project out to bid. I want to say it will be mid-summer before we get all contracts awarded.”

The budget for the local courthouse expansion is $4.5 million, according to county records. The courthouse addition is financed by a general obligation bond issued by the county, which also includes $4.5 million budgeted for an addition to the Foley Satellite Courthouse, said County Administrator Michael Thompson.

“The bond will be repaid out of tax receipts,” said Kyle Baggett, county director of finance and accounting, referring to revenue from property and sales taxes in the county.

Of the $4.5 million budgeted for the Fairhope Courthouse expansion, approximately $3.1 million remains after expenditures for property purchases, architectural and survey services, according to county records.

“We’re hoping the bids will come in under budget for the Foley Courthouse,” said County Commission Chairman David Ed Bishop Wednesday. “Then we would be able to use some of that money for the Fairhope project.”

The Foley project is further along than Fairhope, having already started the pre-qualification of bidders process, said Gautney.

“Unlike in Foley, in Fairhope we were landlocked,” said Thompson, referring to the reason for purchasing property near the Fairhope facility to accommodate additional parking.

“The first step was to secure enough land,” he said. “During the past year we’ve been taking steps like that.”

County records indicate the following expenditures for the Fairhope Courthouse expansion: purchase Ford property, $399,211; purchase Springer property, $259,447; Hatch Mott McDonald, $48,355; Marshall McCloud (survey), $16,200; Hatch Mott McDonald, $15,771; purchase Corte property, $654,788; Marshall McCloud (survey), $5,400.

Thompson said plans for the courthouse expansion began with the county’s strategic plan adopted by the commission in November 2006, which refers to addressing space needs at the satellite courthouses.

“The local satellite courthouses are a number of years old,” he said. “We realized the need to keep up with growth.”

Thompson said they “hope this will be a good time for construction,” and that the local bids will come in under the budgeted amounts.

The master plan approved at the Dec. 16 commission meeting indicates the following new spaces at the Fairhope Courthouse: probate addition, revenue, driver’s license, court lobby, public lobby, building, planning, legislative, commission, safe room and mechanic/electrician.

Although it is not indicated by name on those drawings, Thompson said office space for the circuit clerk offices will be increased.

“There will be additional court office space,” Thompson said. “There will be no new courtrooms in addition to the two existing courtrooms, but there will be more office space for court staff, including meeting rooms for attorneys and clients.”

Bishop said the need for the addition at the Fairhope Courthouse is clear on days when court is in session and parking overflows into vacant lots next door.

“We had people parking everywhere,” Bishop said.

He also pointed to approximately 25 leaks in the courthouse roof repaired recently.

He said if bids do not come in under budget for the Fairhope project further delays in construction should be expected in order to secure additional funding.

The current financing in the form of a general obligation warrant was issued in May last year for a total amount of $24.6 million, according to Baggett. County records indicated the following projects will be funded by that bond: Satellite Courthouse renovations, $9 million; Bay Minette Courthouse second floor, $2 million; County Road 20 construction, $2,6 million; County Road 13 construction, $3 million; bridge construction, $2.2 million; North side of Interstate 10 road construction, $2.5 million; and other road or building construction, $3.3 million.

Bishop said plans for the courthouse expansion were developed by Hatch Mott McDonald, the architectural firm, through interviews with county department heads to assess their space needs.

“This will take our growth needs out for the next 20 years,” Bishop said. “I would have thought we would have started construction in 2008, but maybe (this year).”