Marinette County’s Ella Court building could see new life next year. County Administrator John Lefebvre provided an update to the Infrastructure Committee Wednesday about his intention to include funding in the upcoming budget to remove the jail cells and non-load-bearing walls from the building’s second floor and potentially replace the roof to finally make the facility suitable for new use.
Lefebvre says they haven’t determined a definite use for the building yet, but suggested it would most likely be used as office space for either the county or another business or organization. Another concern the county is beginning to address is the need to increase courthouse security and a renovated Ella Court building could help solve that issue.
The Ella Court building has sat vacant for around 15 years. One estimate received earlier this year to renovate the entire facility came in at around $500000. However, Lefebvre says the cost to simply demolish the building is even higher- around $1-million.