County details court annex remodel to add courtroom, replace building envelope

County staff presented detailed plans during a Commissioners Court workshop to remodel the County Court Annex, expand public hearing space and renovate the building envelope and mechanical systems.

The presentation said the county acquired and remodeled the building in 2007, completed a feasibility study and design in 2023, and permitted the final design in April; general‑contractor solicitations have closed and negotiations are underway. “This has been a long time coming,” Trevor Lansdowne, staff member, said as he opened the briefing.

The project will replace the building envelope (including brick facade, gutters, downspouts and metal roofing), replace chillers and chiller piping, upgrade HVAC controls so the building functions as a single system, and add interior build‑outs. The Second Floor of the sanctuary will house the budget office, the auditor's office and project management; the Second Floor of the North Wing will become a new human resources suite; and the First Floor will include a larger Commissioner's Courtroom with seating for 101 and an adjacent IT training/overflow space. The design also adds a second elevator serving the atrium and additional…