New Courthouse Construction Begins With Demolition
A new 78,000-square-foot building will house Circuit Court, General District Court and the sheriff's office by early 2015.
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Demolition started today on the former Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and the former Savage Law firm offices to make room for Fredericksburg's new courthouse at the corner of Princess Anne and Charlotte streets by early 2015.
The new 78,000-square-foot courthouse will be the home of both the Circuit Court and General District Court. The Fredericksburg Sheriff's Office will also have space in the building.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court moved to Executive Plaza at 601 Caroline St. City Council will decide later this year if it will keep the court in Executive Plaza or move it to renovated space at where General District Court is today. Council members are looking for ways to save money to use to renovate the Renwick Buiding, where Circuit Court will be held until the new courthouse is completed.
The city has issued $36.7 million in bonds for a new courthouse facility that includes the following:
- Design new court facilities
- Renovate Executive Plaza first floor for temporary occupancy by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
- Demolish the existing structures at the corner of Princess Anne and Charlotte streets
- Construct the new courthouse at corner of Princess Anne and Charlotte streets
- Move the Circuit Court out of Renwick and the General District Court to the new courthouse
- Renovate the General District Courthouse and move the J&DR Court to the renovated former General District Courthouse
City Manager Beverly Cameron recommended last month turning Renwick into a Council Chamber (in the current Circuit courtroom on the second floor) and the first floor could be office space for the city manager’s office, city attorney’s office, mayor, and clerk of Council. This renovation could cost about $5 million and Cameron said that is net of historic tax credits. Council could also choose to keep the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Executive Plaza and save money on the renovation of the General District Courthouse at 615 Princess Anne St.
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Fredericksburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
701 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg, VA -
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Bob
4:11 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Why does it take so much money to build and renovate? That's ridiculous. 5 million to renovate? What crook did you hire to do the renovation? Why would you allow that much money to even be spent on renovations? You have everything you need to run the courthouse and make it function efficiently. So what are we talking about? A few more walls...new carpeting? What? Where can we find the cost sheet for each item going into these buildings?
Roger G. Cavendish
7:04 am on Friday, August 10, 2012
Renovating is like a face lift on a 80 year old person, the face looks good on a 80 year old body.
Dan Telvock
5:06 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Bob, it's a major renovation and all buildings need some major security additions. It's not cheap
Hamilton
9:05 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
I'm not so sure the machines could not have worked their way up Princess Anne Street a bit farther.
Is anyone aware of the efficiency study the City is proposing? Do we have too many persons doing the business of local government? Do we have too much space or underutilized space? Why are some employees in windowless offices and others in corner suites? Should city government move to the Executive Office building? Now, why are we moving council and city managers office to renwick?
Dan Telvock
1:23 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
I take that back Hamilton--I see this study on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
Dan Telvock
9:24 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Hamilton....no one is moving council and city managers office to Renwick, but Bev Cameron did suggest that move... Should Renwick be used for office space and council chambers? A lot of questions out there. I think the "efficiency study" may be on hold but I could be forgetting...
RAR
7:24 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
I am more concerned with this parking situation the downtown parking garage is near capacity but the new courthouse folks are supposed to park in that garage. This doesn't add up.