Clinton County New Annex
Clinton County has experienced consistent growth and, consequently, has outgrown its departmental office space located within its remarkable, historic courthouse. The county approached RQAW | DCCM and Envoy to renovate the former Regions bank building on the northwest corner of the town square and create more office space. The more the team dug into the design, however, the more they discovered the amount of repairs and alterations that would be required to make the former bank building fit the county’s needs.
The building itself was actually an amalgamation of four or five unique structures cobbled together and reclad over the hundred years of its life. RQAW | DCCM and Envoy explored the cost of tearing down and building new and discovered that the cost to renovate was quickly approaching the cost to build new. On top of that, the renovation option was only a bandage solution, as it could not properly accommodate future growth space needs for the county. Envoy and RQAW | DCCM pitched this idea to the county, along with some concept sketches of a two-story and a three-story option. In light of these facts, the county agreed that building new would be the responsible way to proceed.
Fully understanding the weight of importance that comes with building a new building on a historic town square, RQAW | DCCM and Envoy worked closely with the city of Frankfort, their historic preservation commission, and Frankfort Main Street to provide a design that would serve as a worthy addition to the core of Frankfort’s cultural hub. Demolition started in late May, and new construction will begin mid-August.