Alamance County outlines $37 million courthouse renovation plan, seeks construction manager at risk

Alamance County commissioners heard a detailed update on the county’s courthouse renovation project and the related financing plan Tuesday, including plans for four new courtrooms, added office space and a proposal to bring a construction manager on early to control costs.

Bridal, a county presenter on the project, told commissioners the current plan reduces earlier estimates and focuses on a 3-story addition that will provide four new courtrooms plus about 9,000 square feet of additional office space. Bridal said the design work will continue through most of 2025 and the county is seeking a construction manager at risk to help “dial in the numbers” and keep costs close to the $37,000,000 figure now being targeted.

The county’s financing outline presented to the board shows $15,000,000 already set aside; staff said the remaining roughly $22,000,000 would be borrowed, with an estimated 5% interest rate and an annual debt service of about $2.12 million. County staff told the board that the borrowing would not occur in the upcoming fiscal year but could take place in fiscal year 2026–27.

Commissioners pressed for further detail. Commissioner Priola said he wanted to see offsets in spending rather than “a 0.84¢ tax increase,” and asked for a clearer accounting of how the $37,000,000 figure was developed. “Last time we met, I was asking you for the accounting of what buckets we had when we came up with that $37,000,000 or at least a calculation of how we came up with that because to me it's a black box,” Priola said. Bridal and other staff described using price-per-square-foot estimates from architects and stressed the need for the construction manager to refine cost estimates during the design phase.

Other commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about parking and circulation. A commissioner asked how expansion into the current parking lot would be addressed; staff said the county already owns one house on the southwest corner of the parking area and that additional arrangements with neighbors are being explored but no final plan has been presented. A juror and other members of the public described safety and accessibility concerns tied to the current courthouse layout and cross-street travel between buildings during jury service.

Board members also noted the project’s history: earlier concepts had reached estimates near $99,000,000, which the county scaled down after public pushback. Commissioners repeatedly asked staff to produce more granular cost breakdowns as the design phase proceeds, and several said they would oppose any tax increase used to pay debt service without additional offsets or public approval.

Staff made clear that some short-term adjustments have already been implemented to relieve space constraints: the former jury room was converted to a courtroom and the jury room was moved to an annex as an interim solution while longer-term construction proceeds.

The county’s capital funding timeline shared with the board ties the courthouse design and selection of a construction manager to 2025, with borrowing for the remainder of the project anticipated in fiscal year 2026–27, and with an emphasis on keeping the project near the $37 million target through early contractor involvement. No final design, binding contract or bond issue had been approved at the time of the presentation.

Votes at a glance: No formal vote on the courthouse financing or construction manager selection was recorded in the meeting transcript; commissioners directed staff to continue design and provide more detailed cost breakdowns for future consideration.

The board moved on to other items after the presentation; staff said the capital plan and operating budget will be part of public hearings and formal adoption actions scheduled in June.