SCAD or VSU? Historical Society or Public Defender? Business incubator or state offices? Outside and inside. These and other ideas were brought up in the first of three Courthouse Preservation Committee meetings, 9 June 2014.
Baha Zeidan and Varian Brown wanted a business incubator. Judge Ellerbee said the way the courthouse got into a mess in the first place was people wanting to use it for many things in addition to courtrooms, and he suggested not going the same route again. Pat Sullivan suggested bringing in SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) and having them design the building before renting it as a local campus. Stanley Cox seconded that. Sullivan even volunteered his oldest downtown Valdosta building, home of ClientTell, for planning meetings. Gretchen Quarterman said to be sure Valdosta Farm Days, Juneteenth, and all the other courthouse lawn events still can happen in conjunction with whatever happens inside, G. Norman Bennett said it would be a natural location for the Historical Society. Glenn Gregory told stories of historic preservation and suggested VSU, state offices, or the Public Defender, plus he noted there’s another courthouse by the same architect, in Abbeville, GA. They even let somebody speak who hadn’t signed up: Valdosta Mayor John Gayle, who cautioned that the longer it sits, the more it deteriorates.
Here are links to each video, followed by a playlist.
- Pledge
- Introduction of Committee
- Sound problems with County Clerk’s history presentation
- Mayor Gayle & Business Incubator –Baha Zeidan, Azalea Health Management
- Previous changes in use –Judge Ellerbee
- Business incubator as a sign of prosperity –Varian Brown
- Integrity of the building & SCAD –Pat Sullivan, ClientTell
- Integrating courthouse lawn events with the inside –Gretchen Quarterman
- Historical Society –G. Norman Bennett
- Bring some new business in –Stanley Cox
- Stories of historic preservation and VSU still interested –Glenn Gregory
- The longer it sits, the more it deteriorates –John Gayle, Valdosta Mayor
- Frank Milburn also designed one in Abbeville, GA –Glenn Gregory again
- Wrapup –Bill Slaughter, Lowndes County Chairman
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: Courthouse Preservation Committee Hearing #1
Courthouse Preservation,
Meeting #1, Lowndes County Historical Courthouse Preservation Committee (Courthouse),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 9 June 2014.
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Short Link: