Planning for the former Habersham County Courthouse property in downtown Clarkesville is proceeding

Habersham County’s vacant former courthouse in downtown Clarkesville limits marketability of the property, developers have said.

For that reason and concerns with the structure itself, Habersham County soon will advertise for public bids for demolition of the now obsolete structure.

Money for the demolition will be fronted by the City of Clarkesville and the Habersham County Development Authority, with the money to be repaid within 10 days of the property sale.

An intergovernmental agreement between the parties sets forth 3% annual interest will be added to the capped loan principal amount.

“We paused plans for demolition after hearing that some developers might be interested in renovating the existing structure,” said Habersham County Commission Chairman Ty Akins.

“What we found is that it seems most developers prefer a clean slate, you might say, where they can begin work immediately rather than being delayed by the demolition process.”

Once the demolition process is complete, the Development Authority will issue a request for proposal for marketing the property for redevelopment purposes that align with the vision of the city, the county, and that authority.

Clarkesville City Councilman Franklin Brown said he and other city leaders look forward to working with all stakeholders to move forward with the project.

“The City of Clarkesville is ready, willing, and able to work with the county and the Development Authority to make our dream of redevelopment come true,” Brown said.

The proposed intergovernmental agreement between Habersham County, the City of Clarkesville, and the Habersham County Development Authority will be presented for approval at the next meeting of each body.