Construction progresses on the new Department of Family and Children's Services and Department of Juvenile Justice building behind the Health Department in Pembroke.

The bricks have started going up, the roof is nearly complete, and the sheetrock should be going in next week, according to Tracy Nesmith, site superintendent for Dabbs, Williams General Contractors of Statesboro.

The insulation is currently being installed and there are about 3,000 more bricks to lay, Nesmith said.

"It's coming along as scheduled and should be complete by the middle of June, " he said.

In its last meeting, the Bryan County Commission voted to go forward with a borrowers resolution with Sea Island Bank in Savannah for $1.3 million at an interest rate of 4.875 percent over 20 years.

County attorney Charles Brown told the commission that during construction, the county would make interest only payments in the amount of $5,800, but once construction was done and the building occupied, the state agencies would be funding the loan fully.

"The loan payment will be equal to the amount of rental payments by the State," he said.

Commission Chairman Jimmy Burnsed said the cost of the building would not come out of local taxes.

"The rental payments from the State will fully pay back the loan over the 20 year period," he said. "Every expense related to the building will be paid out of State coffers."