York Co. leaders give thumbs up to plans for Moss, York office building

York County leaders have given their blessing to conceptual plans for two major projects: an expansion to Moss Justice Center and a new county office building in York.

The York County Council didn’t take a vote, but members voiced support for moving forward Wednesday, after hearing a presentation in Rock Hill from two architectural firms. They also looked at drawings and a model of the new office building.

T. Ashby Gressette with Stevens Wilkinson in Columbia said the 80,000-square-foot county office building, planned on Congress Street in downtown York, is designed “to be a good neighbor” to the century-old courthouse, which is being renovated.

“I think it fits in nicely to the streetscape,” Gressette told council members as he showed a three-dimensional model. “We thought it was important in a site plan to relate the site to the old courthouse.”

Gressette said the proposed $20 million government center at South Congress and West Jefferson streets would be set back from Congress to align with the courthouse.

He said generous green space is uninterrupted for the entire block. Most of the existing trees will remain, he said, supplemented by new plantings.

The existing Agricultural Building, which now houses the council chambers and county offices, is to be torn down and replaced with the new building.

The new building is three stories along South Congress. As the grade drops to the rear of the property, he said, the lowest level is exposed to become a four-story facade.

The building, slated to be finished in September 2018, has a cast stone base, brick mid-section and is topped with a cast stone cornice. A hipped roof hides rooftop mechanical equipment. He said the colors, texture and scale compliment the courthouse.

Council member Robert Winkler, whose district includes York, said community members who learned of the plans told him they are “very excited we were making it fit with the courthouse.”

Gressette said site plans also call for a redesign and expansion of the existing parking area. He said a garden wall has been proposed to hide cars from South Congress, and a second parking area is proposed at the back of the site.

Gressette said the large rectangular building includes a small extension on one side of the building which will house the council chambers and council office space.

Plans for the second project, a $32 million, 85,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of Moss, call for two building additions, to the court building and sheriff’s offices.

The court building addition would be adjacent to the existing building, and the sheriff’s addition would be to the rear. Plans also call for a new building facade, a new, larger entrance to the sheriff’s department and a covered parking area.

“We are building future growth within each department,” said project manager Chris Steude with Moseley Architects. He said plans call for more office space than is presently needed in each department to give the justice center room to grow.

Council members questioned Steude and Moseley vice president Dan Mace about how long the space would last, noting that York County outgrew Moss much faster than expected.

Mace said architects try to do a 20-year assessment of space needs, though he said it’s impossible to anticipate all the changes that may affect justice systems. He said the space could be expected to last for 25 to 30 years.

Steude said the Moss additions include more office space for both the sheriff’s and court systems, evidence storage, three new courtrooms and a new DUI court.

James Britton, vice president with construction management firm Cumming, said the new construction at Moss is slated to be done in June 2018, with the remodeling finished by December 2018.

An $89.9 million bond was approved by voters last year to address space and security concerns at county buildings, primarily at courtroom facilities at Moss in York and at the Family Court facility on Heckle Boulevard in Rock Hill.

The council agreed to put money for the new county administration building in York back into the bond earlier this year after changing its mind in several votes.

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 6:02 PM with the headline "York Co. leaders give thumbs up to plans for Moss, York office building."