Old courthouse to become medical clinic

Doctor and his wife purchased and are transforming the Yarmouth landmark

A new medical clinic is scheduled to open in Yarmouth later this fall.

Renovations have been underway on the old courthouse building, opposite Yarmouth Town Hall, for the past six months.

General internal medicine specialist Dr. Brian Moses, who was born and raised in South Ohio, Yarmouth County, and his wife, Tamara, purchased the building on June 1, 2017.

Tamara Moses says the couple looked at other buildings for their project but found the old courthouse had the most potential and was “beautiful.”

Their design for the building includes doctors’ offices on the first floor, including three internists, four family doctors and a space for a nurse practitioner. An area for an infusion clinic is also part of the plan, along with a shared office for two social workers/counsellors.

There are three apartments on the second floor in the rear of the building (ready for occupation in September). One of the them is already spoken for. The former courtroom is being left as is for now, but Phase 2 of the project calls for renovations that will retain the beautiful woodwork and create medical lecture space for either Dr. Moses’s use or those who wish to rent it.

Tamara, who has a home-based travel agency and is mother to five children (ages seven to 17), has also been working as the “go-between” for the project. The couple has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations.

“We knew it was a big job, but I don’t think we realized exactly how big until we were into it. It was a total gut job,” she said. “But it’s all good.”

Graham Construction is the main contractor. An elevator is being installed in the facility and there’s a wheelchair-accessible entrance on north side.

Where possible, the character and heritage of certain elements in the old facility is being retained.

An old safe will be turned into a bathroom off the staff boardroom. Exposed brick has been left in some of the apartments.

Radiant in-floor heat has been installed on the first floor. The building was not insulated and Tamara says there were radiators “all over the place.”

Although no new doctors from out of the area will be joining the clinic at this stage, Dr. Moses is optimistic the facility will draw them here.

“You’d never recruit a younger person to a solo practice in this day and age. You need to have clinics like this to get young people to come and to stay,” he said.

See OLD COURTHOUSE, A3