First Choice selected to build city courthouse facilities

First Choice is the design/build team selected to build the city of Fredericksburg’s new courthouse facilities, City Manager Beverly Cameron announced today.

The proposal beat out proposals from W.M. Jordan and Donley’s.

The city will enter into an agreement under the Public Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act.  

Cameron said he and the city attorney will negotiate a comprehensive agreement. That agreement isn’t expected to come in front of council for several weeks.

Part of that agreement will be a price, which Cameron declined to give. He said it will be worked out in the next few weeks during the negotiations.

A new courts building will be constructed at the corner of Princess Anne and Charlotte Streets, on property owned by the city, where the existing Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court building is. The existing General District Court building will be renovated for the J&R Court.

The J&R court will be relocated to the Executive Plaza building on Caroline Street.

 The new courts facility will be four stories and have 78,500 square feet.

The basement will have the Sheriff’s Department Administration, central prisoner holding area, vehicle sallyport, and enclosed parking for judges and other designated court staff.

The first floor will have the circuit court clerk’s office, including archives and building support spaces.

The second floor will have the general district court and clerk.

The third floor will have the circuit court and the main mechanical equipment room.

There will be two finished court rooms for the Circuit Court and two for the General District court.

The current General District Court building will be renovated for use of the J&R Court. In the basement, it will have holding cells, the J&R court service unit and mechanical equipment space. The first floor will have the court and court clerk.

There will be separate elevators for the public, court staff and judges and in-custody defendants and witnesses. There is no space for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office.

According to the design schedule, the maximum price would be provided by Sept. 2012.

Construction would start in October 2012 and the new building would be completed by December 2013 and the renovation of the existing General District Courts Building would be completed by November 2014.

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