GEORGETOWN, Del.- A new family courthouse is under construction in Sussex County.
The Delaware Court System broke ground on the project this morning in Georgetown. The new building will be 107,000 square feet and have eight large courtrooms. The current courthouse is roughly 30,000 square feet and has six small courtrooms.
The construction is accompanied by a new parking garage, which will be the first in Georgetown.
Michael Newell, the Chief Judge of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, said that the expansion of the courthouse is necessary for an expanding community.
"Our filings have doubled, our jurisdiction has increased and we serve probably eleven to twelve thousand cases per year," he said.
There is also hope the new courthouse will help stimulate the local economy. Mayor of Georgetown Bill West shares this belief.
"A lot of towns have suffered with their main streets, losing everything going to the highway. I think this is an advantage for us to bring back things on our main street," said West.
Construction is planned to be complete in 2024.
