Slowly but surely, the Covington County Courthouse is “looking more like the grand majestic building it is,” said County Administrator Brenda Petty.

During the last year, the building underwent several “facelift” projects, and Petty said more are soon to be under way.

In 2009, the commission awarded a nearly $400,000 bid to install a new metal roof on the building, to pressure wash and seal the outside of the building and to install a new elevator.

“Water was actually coming through the walls in some places,” Petty said. “Now, the new roof looks outstanding, and the leaks have stopped. And the contractors have finished installing the new elevator.”

The commission used the proceeds of a 2005 bond issue to cover the cost of the projects.

Now, there is an estimated $35,000 remaining of the $540,000 in funds, Petty said.

“We hope to use that to do a few more projects,” she said. “First on the list, commissioners hope to address the front doors. There’s one that hasn’t worked for years. We hope to come up with enough money to renovate the front lobby, the corridors and the rotunda.

“And to remove that pink wallpaper that’s circa 1986,” she said. “We hope to give (the building) a more polished look.”

The probate office has already begun renovations, which included new paint and new floors. Probate Judge Ben Bowden used money from his annual budget to make those changes, Petty said.

Next on the list is the circuit clerk’s office, she said.

“It’s in desperate need of new flooring,” she said. “The maintenance man is working with (Circuit Clerk Roger Powell) on a way to do the project without having to close the office.

“Things are coming together,” she said. “It just takes a little time. If you look at it now, it’s looking more like the grand majestic building it is – especially after the new roof.”