New Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Building near completion; city says project on schedule and under budget

Staunton officials said the new Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court building on West Beverly Street is roughly two-thirds complete and “on schedule and under budget,” project representative John King told the City Council at its May 22 meeting.

The announcement matters because the facility will house courtrooms, sheriff holding areas and court support offices that move operations out of older facilities and into a building purpose‑built for modern court and secure detention needs.

Project updates presented to council said overall construction progress is about 63 percent. All underground site utilities — sanitary and domestic water lines plus the stormwater system — are complete, enabling the contractor to coordinate service laterals with Columbia Gas and Dominion Energy. King said the elevator units already arrived and are being installed, roofing is complete, composite metal panels were nearing completion, ceiling work was about 85 percent complete and drywall hanging and finishing were underway.

“Long lead items such as the generator and the elevators have already been procured,” King said. “We have no concerns about any material that might hold up the final product.” He added that three of four stairways are finished and the main open stairway will have glass handrails.

Councilors and staff discussed remaining site work. King said the pavement base will go down once laterals are set and that the final surface and striping will occur near the end of the project. He noted that the front portion of the parking lot along West Beverly Street is not covered by the current construction contract and that the planned sidewalk connection also was removed from the contract in favor of addressing it through a separate master‑planning process. King said community development and public‑works plans could include a stormwater feature, green space and a bus call station in the lower parking area.

City staff said furniture and equipment selections are in progress and will be sent to vendors once pricing is confirmed; color and finish choices have already been made and distributed to the contractor. King said final furniture purchases may still be adjusted depending on price, but he expected only minor changes.

No one on council moved or voted on any action tied to the update; the presentation was informational. Staff did not provide a specific dollar figure for the remaining contingency but said the project remains “under budget,” without specifying the amount.

Looking ahead, staff said the city could coordinate a site tour for council and the public once contractor logistics and security needs are arranged.

Details: John King, the city’s representative for the court project, gave the briefing; the courthouse secure holding area, sheriff office space and IT closets are complete. The front‑lot paving and sidewalk connection are subject to separate planning and are not in the current construction contract.