New County Building Smaller Than Planned

A considerable portion of the original plans for the new county office building in Wills Point has been cut.

"We have cut things down substantially," Van Zandt County Judge Rhita Koches said earlier this week. "Where we started with about 3,800 or 3,900 square feet, it is now down to 3,000 square feet."

Koches said information from Greg Blanchard, a volunteer cost analyst for the project, led to the scrapping of some law enforcement offices and a hallway/break room.

Instead, the building now calls for a justice of the peace office, courtroom, constable’s office and space for the Wills Point Vehicle Registration Substation.

Van Zandt County Commissioners approved a design plan for the building in a special session last Thursday.

Koches said the county is now awaiting final documents before it goes out for bids for a general contractor.