Tuesday morning, Beaufort County leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new multimillion-dollar government building.
However, due to rain, the “groundbreaking” was indoors.
The three-story, 23,000-square-foot building is planned in Beaufort to replace the county’s Arthur Horne building, which county officials and staff say is aging and unfit for continued use.
The new building, expected to be complete by the end of the year, will join the county’s administration building, courthouse and jail on the government campus at Ribaut Road and Boundary Street in Beaufort. The estimated $7 million cost is part of a five-year capital improvement plan and will be paid for with a series of general obligation bonds.
Beaufort County Deputy Administrator Chris Inglese said the new building “will provide a quality space to provide services to Beaufort County citizens” and he hopes the county can add a water feature to the campus.
“We’re excited to announced the commencement of the construction for this new civic space,” Inglese said.
(From left to right) Council member Joe Passiment; Council member Larry McElynn; Council member Alice Howard; Dan Saltrick, architect with Beaufort Design Build; Mark Roseneau, director of Beaufort County Facility Management; Jarrod Atkins, Akins General Contractors; Richard Brooks, Beaufort Magistrate’s Office; Beaufort County Administrator Ashley Jacobs; Rod Sproatt, Beaufort Magistrate’s Office; Chief Magistrate LaShonda Scott; Council member Mike Covert; Council member Paul Sommerville; and Council member Stu Rodman. Rob Lewis Rob Lewis
Beaufort County Council Chairman Stu Rodman unveils the plans for the new Arthur Horne government building inside the council chambers. Rob Lewis Rob Lewis
Chief Magistrate LaShonda Scott speaks at the unveiling of the new Arthur Horne government building. Rob Lewis Rob Lewis
Beaufort County Council Chairman Stu Rodman speaks at the unveiling of the new Arthur Horne government building. Rob Lewis Rob Lewis
Drawings show a three-story Beaufort County government building planned to replace the Arthur Horne Building at Ribaut Road and Boundary Street in Beaufort. City of Beaufort/Beaufort Design Build
A reporter for The Island Packet covering projects and investigations, Kacen Bayless is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri with an emphasis in investigative reporting. In the past, he’s worked for St. Louis Magazine, the Columbia Missourian, KBIA and the Columbia Business Times. His work has garnered Missouri and South Carolina Press Association awards for investigative, enterprise, in-depth, health, growth and government reporting. He was awarded South Carolina’s top honor for assertive journalism in 2020.
