After being closed for the better part of the past year, Mathews County’s administration building on Brickbat Road will open to the public next Wednesday, but things won’t look quite the same.

Instead of having to trudge up a hefty flight of concrete steps, county residents will now be able to conduct all their county business on the first floor of the building in bright, well-ventilated offices.
During the closure, the county made use of CARES Act funding to bring the county into compliance with COVID-19 requirements for air handling and sanitation, installing a new HVAC system and two touch-free bathrooms and upgrading electric service so it could handle the new systems.
Building Official Kevin Zoll said the county “didn’t spend billions of dollars, and it came in looking pretty good.”
The “big, 800-pound gorilla” was the HVAC system, said Zoll, and the county was able to install two air handlers, ductwork, and brick pedestals to elevate the exterior units for around $70,000 for e...