Warren County government’s footprint in the city expanded just a little bit more on Thursday, as magistrates approved the $1.44 million purchase of the old Charles M. Moore Insurance building at 1007 State St., effectively giving the county control over the entire block.

“We owned 40% of the lot already,” Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman told the Daily News. “We want to try to control that property so that we could look at future expansion.”

The block in question was home to a large building that housed offices for the Kerrick-Bachert law firm and the local office for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.

A fire tore through that building in 2023, destroying much of the site. The Warren Fiscal Court then purchased the property for $400,000 and approved its eventual demolition last January.

The building purchased Thursday is owned now by Boyce Properties, LLC, and currently sits vacant after the insurance company that previously operated there moved out a few months ago.

Gorman said plans are not yet finalized on future usage of the building.

“We have made no decisions yet, but it’s easier for us to make long-term plans for the citizens of Warren County if we control the property,” he said.

“It gives us a blueprint that we can start to work on, how we could expand our services,” Gorman said. “Whether that’s additional parking, (Warren County) Clerk’s Office, (or) all kinds of activities.”

The Fiscal Court budgeted $1.5 million for the purchase. Gorman said the $1.4 million price tag was an appraised value for the site, and said the Fiscal Court has no plans down the road to purchase any other structures on the block.

The building sits just a stones throw from the Warren County Courthouse, where Gorman’s office along with the county clerk and several other county services are housed. Gorman expressed support for the purchase due in part to its location.

“You sometimes want to control your neighborhood,” he said. “It’s almost attached to our property, so it just made good sense for us to purchase it.”

The county is expected to close on the property next week.

Magistrates also gave recognition to the cheerleading teams at Bowling Green Junior High and Bowling Green High Schools after both teams won their third and fourth consecutive state championship titles, respectively.

Both teams were also recognized at the Bowling Green City Commission meeting on Tuesday.

Gorman praised the work of the cheerleaders and their coaches during the meeting, saying “nothing worthwhile in life is done without hard work.”

Magistrates also approved Thursday:

• The establishment of East Haven Way, Summer Shade Circle, Summer Shade Drive, Autumn Breeze Court and Autumn Breeze Way in the Breckinridge Subdivision as county roads;
• The 2025 affiliation agreement for the Warren County Technical Rescue Team, and.

The Fiscal Court will meet again on Feb. 13.