County Opens New Courthouse with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The new, long-awaited Forsyth County Courthouse in downtown Cumming is finished and ready for business.

County officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new building on Thursday, but the courthouse will not officially open for business until Monday.

Voters approved a $100 million in November 2011 to fund the new courthouse, jail expansion and related parking facility, according to the Forsyth County Website. The funding was part of the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax program.

Construction for the new courthouse and jail facilities began in the summer of 2013, Patch previously reported. The new Forsyth County Courthouse is located at the intersection of Main Street and Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

“Without the voters’ approval of Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax VII, we would not have been able to construct the new courthouse and jail, which are absolutely critical components of Forsyth County’s judicial and public safety infrastructure,” Forsyth County Commission Chairman R.J. (Pete) Amos said at the ribbon cutting.

“A sincere thank you is extended to the residents of Forsyth County for recognizing the need for these new facilities and for approving them to be funded by the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax,” Amos continued.

The new courthouse building has five floors plus a basement and will house the Superior Court, State Court, Solicitor-General District Attorney, Clerk of Courts, Court Administration, Grand Jury, Jury Assembly, Pre-Trial Services, Accountability Courts and Indigent Defense.

The new jail will have three inmate levels, a support level and enhanced security systems, according to the news release. The jail will start with 356 beds and have a total inmate capacity of 608.

The new jail is slated to open later this year.

-- Photos of ribbon cutting courtesy of Forsyth County Department of Communications.