Construction has finally begun on the Schuylkill County Courthouse Commons.
Heim Construction Co., Pottsville, had its crew and machinery in front of the county courthouse Thursday morning.
"We are certainly excited about it," Gary Bender, co-chairman of the bicentennial committee, said. "We were hoping to get started in the fall, but things didn't work out that way. The weather appears to be cooperating with us now and we are very excited to see work begin."
The Commons will be a public garden in the triangular grassy area along Laurel Boulevard.
The project was announced in 2011 to coincide with the county's bicentennial.
"I think the delays were a number of things," Bender said.
Weather and the completion of the materials have contributed to the delay.
Designed by Pottsville architect Yongcheol Kim, the project costs about $200,000 and includes a 24-by-24-foot area with a granite monument standing on the north wall of the square. The monument is about 10 feet wide and 5 feet tall and will sit on a base measuring 2feet 8 inches tall. A county map will be in the center of the monument that will include the names of all the municipalities.
Heim Construction completed the monument in December 2013.
The square will be surrounded by 18-inch granite walls that also act as benches. Fourteen of these benches will be scattered throughout the complex. In the middle of the square, there will be six blocks of recessed slabs containing 768 commemorative bricks. The pavers, benches and bricks are engraved with names or messages from those who purchased them prior to completion.
The Commons may be expanded in the future as more resources become available. Originally, the project had a budget of $400,000.