A federal courthouse reopens in Mississippi after renovations to remove mold

ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) — A federal courthouse in north Mississippi is reopening after extensive renovations to eliminate mold, increase energy efficiency and update technology.

Court cases were starting to be heard Tuesday in the Thomas G. Abernethy Federal Building in Aberdeen, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. A reopening ceremony for the updated 51-year-old building will take place Oct. 8.

“We are glad to be back,” said U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock. “It’s been like Christmas around here. We are all opening boxes of stuff we didn’t remember having.”

Poor air quality became a problem about 10 years ago, when employees became ill.

The General Services Administration installed commercial dehumidifiers that helped for a few weeks, but the musty smell returned. The tipping point came with the discovery of mold in late 2017.

Months after holding a meeting to explain problems to the public, court officials fled the building in February 2018. By that summer, an independent inspection confirmed that the mold infestation made the three-story building uninhabitable.

Workers found mold in air ducts and behind paneling.

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“They pretty quickly determined that a significant source of water causing the mold was the old windows,” Aycock said.

When paneling was removed in the offices of Aycock and Senior U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson, workers discovered windows that had been covered with bookcases. Mold grew between the windows and the paneling.

“I later learned that there was a higher concentration of mold four feet behind my desk chair than anywhere in the building,” Aycock said. “But I now have new windows.”

All the old single-pane windows were replaced with energy-efficient models. Ductwork for heating and cooling was replaced, as were mechanical systems.

“When we came in here two years ago for a tour, there was nothing but ducts and bare walls,” said Magistrate David Sanders. “It was hard to determine where you were.”

Besides replacing computers and adding high-speed internet connections, the project also included new security cameras, updated sound systems and energy-efficient lighting.

While courts were exiled from the building, they moved temporarily at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court down the road. Trials were shifted to the federal courthouse in Oxford. But there was always a scheduling problem, with five or more judges and three courtrooms.

Although the final cost of renovations is not yet known, Aycock said it will exceed the $24 million allocation.