Gwinnett County may soon move ahead with a long-delayed expansion of its main courthouse and administrative building in Lawrenceville.
The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will consider awarding a $74.6 million contract to Gilbane Building Company to build a 180,485-square-foot addition and a 1,500-space parking garage at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.
The courthouse expansion was originally supposed to be completed in 2013. But with the economy in recession and county revenue plummeting, commissioners postponed the project in 2010.
Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said adding courtrooms will increase flexibility in scheduling cases. She said the project also will provide more comfortable facilities for jurors and better access to the building for the public.
“It’s going to give the judicial system the ability to function in a better way,” Nash said.
Some residents aren’t convinced the expansion is needed and wonder whether the money could be better spent.
“That place is as empty as it can be. Why does it have to be bigger?” Gwinnett resident Brenda Osorio said in a Facebook post. “Waste of money.”
The Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center opened in 1988, after a judge ordered the county to replace the existing century-old courthouse, describing it as a “fire trap.” It houses various courts and criminal justice offices, as well as administrative offices like the Board of Commissioners, county manager and tax assessor.
Voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-cent sales tax to pay for the project.
In 2008, voters renewed the sales tax, which included money for the courthouse expansion and other construction projects.
Though the Great Recession led to a long delay, Nash said Gwinnett’s financial standing has improved and the county is ready to move forward.
Tuesday, commissioners also will consider adding $2.2 million to a contract originally awarded to Pieper O’Brien Herr Architects in 2009. The company was retained to design the courthouse addition, but the contract was put on hold when the project was suspended.
Since then, Gwinnett officials have rethought the initial design proposal, which called for an addition at the end of the existing judicial wing and a smaller parking garage in front of the building. The new preliminary design calls for both new structures to be built behind GJAC.
Nash said the new design will make better use of scarce space at the site and provide easier access to the public.
With the change order, Gwinnett would pay the architect about $5 million to finish the design work – 78 percent more than the original contract amount.
About the Author
