The Carteret County Board of Commissioners has taken a significant step forward in the development of a new government complex in Beaufort. During a recent meeting, the board approved a contract with Moseley Architects to begin design work on a public safety complex at the 42-acre site.

On June 9, the Beaufort Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to annex the property, located off US 70 next to the Beaufort Club golf courses, into the town limits. The site is expected to house the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, jail, and potentially other services such as the magistrate’s office, tax office, and the Emergency Operations Center.

Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck expressed his readiness for the move, stating, "I was told a number of years ago that this current building when it was designed that it would be a 30-year solution. Well, that was 30 years ago. The thing about it is we outgrew this building in about 10 years. So for about 20 of those 30, we've had significant space issues."

The project has already secured $5 million in state funding, with nearly $2 million allocated for purchasing the property. The remaining funds will be used for architectural design and site preparation, led by Moseley Architects.

Carteret County officials emphasized that the current focus is on planning and foundational aspects of the project.