The legal landscape is quickly changing to allow for a safer and more efficient experience with the Broward County Judicial System. A new 20-story, 714,000-square-foot Broward County Courthouse is rising in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This website is the place to check in to stay updated on this important project. The total cost of the project, including demolition, landscaping, connectors and a 500-car secured parking garage, is $213 million.
Shape of New Courthouse Building Begins to Emerge
Work on the new Broward County Courthouse continues to pick up, and if you drive or walk by the construction site on SW 6th Street, you will see first-hand that the building is beginning to take shape as the foundation for the state of the art LEED certified building begins to rise from the ground! View Photos
There is much more to this large project than just a new and needed building, including improved access to the jail and parking facilities and an option to expand in the future if the need arises. The project includes several pedestrian bridges that will connect the new building with the east and north wings of the current courthouse. Work has now begun to allow for the extensive underground utility work beneath these bridges that will allow for connectivity between the two buildings when it is completed. Next up, the foundation for the bridges which will soon begin to be constructed between the new building and the old courthouse, the Midrise building, and the County Jail.
New Complex Will Use Renovated Existing Space and Safety Improvements
The Broward County Courthouse was in need of a major expansion and important indoor air safety improvements, so planners needed to think big. We are a growing community and our needs today will not match the needs of tomorrow. Because of that, the entire project’s scope will include 714,000-square-feet of new office space featuring 77 courtrooms along with additional space for expansion, an improved flow for visitors and courthouse agency employees, and improved security screening areas. The project’s completion is estimated for the summer of 2015 and project managers say that they are well underway to meeting that timeframe.
Summer 2013 Update
- Safety First: To make the construction area safe for pedestrians along 6th Street, particularly around the entrance to the building, on-street parking is now prohibited for the duration of construction. Planners hope that this will eliminate congestion and potential hazards as construction increases in the coming months.
- Thinking Ahead: Although occupancy for the new courthouse is not anticipated until the summer of 2015, the project team is already planning the logistics of moving employees and their offices into their new space. That includes the security for the new facility and the procurement of furniture and other office needs for the larger building. The hope is to have planners and court staff thinking now about their needs for their transitions to the new buildings.
- Parking Progress: Building permits have now been issued by the City of Fort Lauderdale for the 500 car parking garage to serve the complex along with the current garage to the east of the site. As they prepare the foundation for the garage, piles are now being installed to handle the weight of the new parking facility and ensure the integrity of the historic Coca-Cola building nearby and adjacent to the existing 1,000 car.
Midrise Building
The existing Midrise building project will help to consolidate some functions within the County-owned facility from managing leased spaces to achieving cost savings and additional operational efficiencies. The project scope of work includes several sub-projects that include architectural and engineering upgrades that include the reduction of necessary office space to bringing down rental cost. For example, the Public Defender staff and State Attorney staff will be relocated from leased space to the third and fourth floors. The first and second floors of the Midrise are being reconfigured for Broward Sheriff's Office and Clerk of the Court.