Orange plans no-frills courtroom to ease large logjam of civil cases

Orange County leaders agreed Tuesday to a build a bare-bones courtroom to help ease backlogged civil cases, while also pushing to explore new sites for the tax-collection and property-appraiser offices.

The $250,000 renovation of the currently unused14th floor of the courthouse on Orange Avenue would create a new space for hearing cases but skimp on typical building amenities and use surplus furnishings, even fold- up chairs.

Orange- Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. said some civil cases have been on hold for more than a year because of a lack of courtrooms. To save mon- ey, county officials bypassed the option of building a fully finished courtroom for $2.2 million, or leasing other downtown court space at an annual cost of $700,000.

Instead, the plan calls for no-frills court space and two bathrooms. That also buys two or three years’ time to do a detailed study on judicial- space needs. The study would take into account the floors just below and above the 14th, which are not built out yet.

“We’ve chosen the bareminimum option,” said county Administrative Services Director John Terwilliger.

Commissioners also signaled interest in moving the main operations of the Orange County Tax Collec- tor and Property Appraiser offices, both of which are now in a downtown highrise, the SunTrust Center.

County leaders want to look at alternate sites with better parking, but ones that would still be centrally located.

Commissioner Scott Boyd pressed for the new site alternatives, saying current downtown locations are not easily accessible. Those new options could be presented by March, Terwilliger said.

Given the real- estate market, bargains might be available for taxpayers.

“There are a lot of storefronts open,” Commissioner Ted Edwards said.