CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – City leaders are starting to talk about replacing one of the oldest buildings in Conway: city hall.

It was once the Old Horry County Courthouse and it was built almost 200 years ago. For more than a century, the building has served as Conway’s city hall and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but its history of housing many city services could come to an end.

City council held a workshop Monday with Stubbs Muldrow Herin architects, a firm hired to design a new city hall.

“Encourage people to be here beyond 5 o’clock,” said city council member Tom Anderson II. “That’s my dream and my vision.”

Council members said they want a new city hall’s architecture to have a mix of modern style and the historic Conway look, like using red brick. They also discussed landscaping options, including green space and a fountain that could be walked through like a splash pad.

The new building would also likely have improved security measures the older building can’t have, especially during court and council meetings.

“We clearly want features in place that would reasonably keep the employees and other people moving around the building safe,” Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said.

Mayor Blain-Bellamy also says she wants to make sure the new city hall would last for more than 100 years, especially as the population grows. There could even be extra room to rent out to other organizations.

Another goal is to put most city services in one place, instead of scattered around Conway.

“We’re in four different buildings, so if you go to apply for a building permit or you need to pay a water bill, oftentimes you’re going from building to building to try to get to different places,” said city spokesperson Taylor Newell.

There’s no word of how much a new city hall would cost and no timeline yet for when construction could begin. The architects will meet with city departments this month to learn what each one needs. There will be future opportunities for public input about the potential new city hall.

The historic city hall would not be torn down if it’s replaced and a location for a new building hasn’t been picked yet.