The design includes earthen-colored stucco, a circular, kiva-styled community room, rows of inset windows, and a covered entryway.
The 32,400-square-foot courthouse will be located on Driscoll Street, next to the county jail and sheriff’s office. It is expected to cost between $7.5 million and $8 million. The construction timetable is 18 months, with completion expected by summer 2017.
It will house district and county courts and is the last courthouse in the state to consolidate both courts into one location.
Visitors will enter into a large lobby and reception area in front of the court clerk offices.
There will be two district court rooms and one county courtroom. A lower level, secure sally port will bring in defendants for court procedures, and they will be kept separated from the staff and general public.
There will be staff bathrooms and public bathrooms, probation offices, jury deliberation rooms, judges chambers, a public file room, family court area, workrooms, break rooms, information technology office, mail room, collections/investigations office, and storage areas.
“Initial meetings have gone well, and there are no major concerns,” said Monty Guiles, the project’s owners representative. “It is a state of the art facility, and we plan to keep it within budget.”
An exact budget is still being determined. The project will be paid for in house and through grants. The Department of Local Affairs has awarded the county a $2 million grant, the Underfunded Court System is providing $586,300, and the county has committed $5 million from it reserves.
The project’s architect is Humphries Poli Architects. Request for proposals for the general contractor have been submitted. The county will be interviewing FCI Constructors, Jaynes Construction Co., and Nunn Construction to determine who gets the job. Hiring local subcontractors is a priority for the county.
Plans and courthouse drawings are on display at the commissioners meeting room and on the county website.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com