Hamblen County Justice Center nearing completion; negotiations on change orders ongoing

Burwell Construction project manager Darren Dolwater told the Hamblen County Commission’s Justice Committee that construction of the county’s new Justice Center is nearly finished and that the contractor is tracking to be substantially complete in April.

Dolwater said the building’s “pods” are close to finished, security systems and above‑ceiling rough‑ins are in place, and final paint, millwork and fixtures are being completed. “They’re tracking to be substantially complete in April,” he said.

The update included a financial snapshot provided by Dolwater: a contract value listed at $95,066,230.11; work completed to date shown as $92,793,932.11; materials stored at $1,399,000; and an overall percent complete reported as 97.61%. Dolwater said the monthly billing run for the meeting had not arrived, so those numbers may shift.

When commissioners asked about a move‑in date and specific spaces such as the work‑release area and a crow’s‑nest observation point, Dolwater described sequencing for Level 1, 2 and 3 pods and said some space uses were not yet finalized. “Level 1 is the most finished. Level 2 is getting right behind that. Level 3 is the one in the rear that’s following up,” he said. He also pointed to installed generator systems and high‑capacity storage as owner‑provided features.

County Mayor Chris Cutshall confirmed county staff and the contractor are negotiating outstanding items and change‑order allocations with the architect and other project partners. “We are in current conversations … and we’re working on behalf of the county,” Cutshall said. He and Dolwater said negotiations are ongoing over which costs should be allocated to the contractor, the architect or the county; no finalized report on those negotiations was available at the meeting.

Dolwater and Cutshall said the county expects a substantial completion in April and that final completion work could extend another two months, placing a practical move‑in target toward mid‑June. They also said no change orders were being presented to the commission at this meeting.

The Justice Committee did not take formal action; commissioners asked for follow‑up reporting on the status of the cost negotiations and any potential assessed penalties for schedule delays.

The commission’s next steps will include receiving the finalized billing and a negotiated accounting of disputed items before the end of the project, the mayor said.