https://www.wmbfnews.com/2025/08/27/georgetown-officials-hold-news-conference-city-hall-project/
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By Maddie Sexton and WMBF News Staff
Published: Aug. 27, 2025 at 1:48 PM EDT|Updated: Aug. 27, 2025 at 11:28 PM EDT
GEORGETOWN, SC (WMBF) - The city bought the property in August 2023 from the old Liberty Steel Mill, and renovations are set to begin Oct. 1.
Mayor Carol Jayroe and Mayor Pro Tempore Jim Clements held a news conference Wednesday afternoon at the new city hall, which sits at 420 South Hazard St.
Mayor Carol Jayroe explained how the city has been seeking to fill a void that’s been empty since 2011, when a sinkhole forced staff to move out of their original headquarters.
“The city believes in this area, and we are ready to mark our spot here,” Jayroe said.
Jayroe said city employees have been spread out in different spaces around town for the last nine years.
“We’ve been in cramped rented spaces in the city since 2016 and have been looking for the perfect spot to build our city hall,” she said.
Except for police and public works, most city departments will now be under one roof— and with plenty of space to grow for the very first time.
Mayor Pro Tempore Jim Clements said the city acquired a total of 18,000 square feet.
“Behind this building is another building that’s 1,100 square feet, that is for future expansion. Beyond that is another building that’s 3,100 square feet, that’s the new council chambers,” Clements said.
Clements detailed that the new council chambers will have seating for 100 people and an additional 800 square feet of storage.
He also added that the future is much brighter for city employees and residents.
“The free flow of information is going to be important, and I think it’s going to make them far more productive and far happier to come to work,” Clements said.
Crews already performed an interior demolition and asbestos removal, but the building still needs walls, HVAC, and plumbing for about 40 office spaces, conference rooms, and more.
Jayroe said the entire project totals just over $5.8 million.
“When our city hall was compromised, we received $3.5 million in insurance proceeds,” she said. “So that’s been sitting in the bank waiting for us to find the perfect spot, and we found it.”
Officials estimate construction lasting roughly eight months, with the city hoping to open the new building by July 4, 2026.