Group Wants New Courthouse in Forsyth County

A group of Forsyth County court officials is asking the board of commissioners to build a new courthouse. They say the current building can't accommodate the needs of the county's growing population.

Court officials, including Forsyth County's top prosecutor Jim O' Neill, say the county's Hall of Justice is long overdue for replacement or expansion.  According to the Winston-Salem Journal, they want to see more technology and courtrooms.

The group sent a letter to the board of commissioners this week asking for a new building.

Commissioners say they've been looking at improving the courthouse for several years. A 2009 study recommends renovating the building with an estimated price tag of at least $82 million. But court officials say that would be a big inconvenience and it wouldn't be enough to modernize it.

According to the report, Forsyth County Manager Dudley Watts says that the project is part of the county's capital improvement plan, but he says more research and discussion is needed on the issue.