Editor: Shannon Cottongame
July 13, 2023
The Hill County Covington Street Annex renovation project is currently in the second phase of two phases of construction.
Hill County Judge Justin Lewis explained that in the first phase, the county added square footage to the building to provide ADA-compliant bathrooms and additional space for the elections administration office.
The parking lot was also rebuilt, and the county is in the process of buying two dilapidated structures next to the annex to make more room for parking.
In addition, the county remodeled a portion of the original building to provide space for the Department of Public Safety troopers and the driver license office.
Judge Lewis said that elections administration has now moved into their offices at the annex, and the tax office was closed July 7 and July 10 for its move to the new location.
Offices in the second phase of construction will include the auxiliary courtroom and adjacent offices, the Child Advocacy Center and the Hill County constables.
There will also be offices for the county’s information technology department, the Child Protective Services Board’s Rainbow Room, the Hill County Historical Commission and the road and bridge database administrator.
“The renovation is also addressing the outside of the annex to make it look and function like a modern office building,” Lewis said. “We are sealing and painting the exterior and changing the configuration of the entrances. The new sidewalks that surround the parking lot still have to be installed along with the new lights that will illuminate the parking lot at night.”
In both phases of construction, the county has updated the wiring and HVAC systems to ensure a more efficient building, and security has also been upgraded.
Judge Lewis said that the county estimates construction will be complete in September of this year.
The project at the Covington Street Annex is part of the county’s overall effort to consolidate buildings and increase efficiency in fewer, more functional spaces.
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