Carson City delays courthouse renovation, directs staff to revise scope and relocate Alternative Sentencing

Carson City supervisors voted unanimously Sept. 4 to direct staff to revise the scope and schedule of the city's courthouse renovation project, delay major construction by roughly a year to 18 months and relocate the Department of Alternative Sentencing (DAS) out of the judicial complex.

The revised schedule is intended to buy time for detailed design and contractor input so the city can phase construction with fewer disruptions and avoid temporary leases for the Clerk-Recorder. Darren Schultz, city staff, told the board the new approach "is a better plan than what we outlined in February," and that using existing courtrooms will allow a new justice of the peace to begin work in early 2027 without an immediate building move.

Why it matters: The judicial complex currently houses courts, the Clerk-Recorder and other offices. Staff concluded moving the Clerk-Recorder in 2025 to a leased temporary location was not achievable after negotiations for the…