GREENFIELD — For Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton, what he’s hoping to see in a new workspace for his office is simple.
“We hope to have an appropriate working space,” Eaton said.
With construction nearing completion on the new Hancock County Jail east of downtown Greenfield, the county government is considering what to do with the old 157-bed jail, which was built in 1988. Envisioning something of a domino effect, officials have discussed moving some county functions into the vacated jail building, which could make space in another building for the prosecutor’s office. That’s something the county has discussed in the past and is considering again as part of a major reshuffling of space.
Eaton said he had an understanding with the county commissioners that after the new jail was finished, new headquarters for the prosecutor’s office would be next on the list. To improve on the offices at 27 American Legion Place — which itself is a former county jail — a new home would need just the basics, like a conference room large enough for all his employees and enough offices for the staff, some of whom currently work out of closets, Eaton said.
It’s difficult for attorneys to discuss confidential matters with law enforcement or citizens, Eaton said, when some of them work out of spaces that don’t have doors.
“It makes a challenging job even more difficult,” he said.
County Commissioner John Jessup said the commissioners’ plan was always to renovate the old jail at 123 E. Main St., which the sheriff’s department will vacate to move to its new facilities, to house Hancock County Community Corrections and the county probation department. This would allow the prosecutor’s office to move to the space currently used by community corrections in its building at 233 E. Main St., next door to the old jail.
Relocating the probation department, which is located in the courthouse, will create space there for the offices of a new county magistrate. The addition of a magistrate, who would conduct judicial proceedings for less serious offenses, is included in the state budget bill, which is currently being finalized by the Indiana General Assembly.
Sheriff Brad Burkhart said the sheriff’s department will not have any further need for the old jail building after fully moving into the new facility.
During a recent joint meeting of the commissioners and the county council, Jessup suggested the path forward might be to take out general obligation bonds for the renovations, which he estimated would take two to three years to complete.
Council member Jim Shelby suggested that instead of simply moving offices around, it might make more sense to build new offices on the new jail campus. The county could then sell the old jail building, he said.
Jessup said that while it might make sense for county buildings to be located on that campus in 30 years, it would be too expensive to make that move now.
Jessup estimated the total cost for renovations as the offices are reorganized at $15 million but cautioned it is still too early to say for certain.
“Right now, I’m trying to just get the county council on board with moving on this in general,” he said.
During the meeting, community corrections director Wade Kennedy said his department has adequate space in its current building and would like to stay there if possible. He said the facility has been upgraded over the years to suit the specific needs of the county’s work-release program, and it would make more sense for the prosecutor’s office to move into the old jail space.
Jessup said the commissioners would consider leaving community corrections where it is, since it would likely cost less money to only move two offices instead of all three.
Eaton said his staff has endured difficult conditions in its workplace, like not having running water for three days when pipes froze. In the long term, he said, the staff needs a better office and one that is within easy walking distance of the county courthouse.
County council member Bill Bolander said the county has to find a solution for what to do with the building where the prosecutor’s office is currently housed. Fully rehabilitating the building, he said, would likely cost millions of dollars that the county is not particularly interested in spending. County officials have discussed removing it from the county’s building inventory, likely by finding a non-profit interested in maintaining its historic value to take it over.
“That building is just in really bad shape, but it’s got some historical significance,” Bolander said.
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Here is one consideration under review for the county office space reorganization:
—Hancock County Community Corrections, which occupies its own building at 233 E. Main St., would relocate to the old jail once it’s vacated.
—The county prosecutor’s office, which occupies cramped quarters in the historic building at 27 American Legion Place, would move into the community corrections building.
—The county probation department, located in the courthouse, would also move into the community corrections building, freeing space for a magistrate’s court.
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