Ellsworth, state officials and a local landowner have reached a land-swap agreement that will enable the state to build a new courthouse off the commercial corridor of High Street, instead of on Surry Road.
The deal involves local landowner Alice Wardwell swapping property ownership with the state, which had planned to build a new courthouse on Route 172, also known as Surry Road. Wardwell will give an undeveloped 18-acre parcel off High Street to the state in exchange for 18 acres of land next to Josie’s Country Store and Cafe.
With the swap, the state is expected to move forward with plans to build a courthouse behind Merrill Furniture on High Street, with the city footing the bill for building a quarter-mile access road to the site.
The state’s original plans to build a new courthouse on Surry Road met with strong resistance from neighboring residents, who learned of the proposal after the state already had purchased the property. Surry Road residents said building a courthouse on that site would be inconsistent with the neighborhood’s residential nature and create more traffic congestion on Route 172.
City officials then weighed in and, with the state’s blessing, researched alternate sites where a new modern courthouse could be built. The site off High Street is within the city’s urban core, which was a state requirement, and is adjacent to other undeveloped sites along the planned access road that could be opened to development, which would boost the city’s tax base, city officials reasoned.
Before buying the Surry Road property, the state’s judicial branch had researched roughly 20 potential building sites in Ellsworth for a new judicial center, but had not considered Wardwell’s property because it was not on the market, state officials said. The existing courthouse on State Street, which was built in the 1930s, does not meet modern technological or security standards and cannot be expanded because of closely abutting properties.
“This project exemplifies the strength of collaboration between the state judiciary and our city, showcasing how listening to community and council feedback as a team can lead to innovative solutions,” said Michelle Beal, chair of the Ellsworth City Council “By finding a new way forward, we are not only addressing immediate needs but also making a long-term investment in our urban core that aligns with our comprehensive plan and the future of Ellsworth.”
Construction of the access road to the new courthouse site off High Street is expected to begin later this year, officials said. Construction of the new courthouse will begin in 2026.
