Orangeburg County purchased several contingent properties on Russell Street for the future placement of a new county courthouse complex.
In February 2022, council purchased the former Winn-Dixie grocery store on 2.32 acres at 1480 Russell St. for about $675,000.
The 1480 Russellproperty was formerly owned by Chan Holman of Woody’s Pawn and Jewelry.
The Winn-Dixie grocery store closed in June 1997.
In May 2022, the county purchased the rear parking lot the Dairy-O and then later that same month purchased the former hair salon building at 1520 Russell Street.
The county purchased the properties to coincide with properties the City of Orangeburg purchased in 2021.
The city's properties included the former Thunderbird motel at 465 Orange Street behind the Dairy-O for about $100,000 in December 2021. The city has targeted that property as potential workforce housing.
Orangeburg County in February 2022 announced plans to build a new courthouse.
As 2023 dawned, county officials say engineers are doing the due diligence on the property with plans to soon embark on the architectural and design portion of the project.
County officials have said the courthouse is too small to meet community needs.
It has one large courtroom and several smaller ones. Officials say the building needs at least six large courtrooms.
The courthouse was built in 1928 and county officials say the building has extended past its useful life.
The estimated cost for a new courthouse would be between $30 million to $50 million, according to county officials.
