West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued the following announcement on Mar. 3.
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has purchased a Kanawha City office building from General Corporation of Charleston for $7.5 million, an amount that will allow the judiciary to break even on the purchase as soon as 2030. The building, known as City Center East, is located at 4700 MacCorkle Ave. SE. “It just makes financial sense,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hutchison.
“The Court has pledged to use state tax money wisely and to be accountable and transparent. In eight years, the purchase of the building will save us more than $800,000 a year in rent. “Previous courts have considered buying the building because judicial system offices take up all or part of six floors of the 12-story structure.
The timing now is perfect. The building will provide modern working space for the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) in a facility that is easily accessible and has plenty of free parking. The judicial system and state will save money in the long run.” Chief Justice Hutchison said. The building currently provides office space for 120 judicial employees. It houses the Administrative Office Divisions of Children and Juvenile Services, Court Services, Information Technology, Grant Services, Magistrate Court Services, and Probation Services. These administrative divisions support the entire court system, including courts in all 55 counties. Administrative offices for the Mass Litigation Panel, the Board of Law Examiners, and the Judicial Investigation Commission are also there, as well as the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which was the first judicial system entity to move into the building in 2010. The ICA is expected to employ 30-40 people and will have its own courtroom.
“As we continue to find ways to use taxpayer funds responsibly, I am confident that moving forward with this new plan for City Center East will be good for the judiciary and also for litigants who appear before the ICA,” said Justice Beth Walker.
“The purchase of the building will bring stability to a large part of the Court’s operation. It was a fiscally sound decision which will pay dividends to the taxpayers and satisfy the needs of the Court,” said temporary Justice Alan D. Moats.
Original source can be found here.