Contractors will soon finish their work to help modernize and renovate the decades-old Godwin Courts Building in downtown Suffolk.

The renovations at the North Main Street courthouse began back in September and are expected to be finished by the end of January, according to Maj. David Miles, Chief Deputy for the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office.

Courthouse visitors will first notice that the turnstile door at the front entrance is being replaced with two sets of doors.

“That just gives us a little bit better control of how people are coming in, and it will help us keep the front lobby more organized (and more efficient) as people are coming in,” Miles said in a phone interview Friday. “Hopefully it will get them through the security faster, so they can handle their business.”

Interior security upgrades have also been added, along with modern renovations to the building’s roof. Furthermore, new carpet and furniture have been added to the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office inside the courthouse.

Miles said that the modifications to their Suffolk office will allow them to be more organized, and to help keep up with the “growing needs of the city.”

Suffolk has grown since the Mills E. Godwin Jr. Courts Building was first dedicated, and these building improvements will help the Sheriff’s Office meet the needs of this growing city in 2020.

“These new upgrades have helped modernized a building that’s been open since 1998,” Miles said.