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Smith County courthouse project: architects and contractor report parking garage under budget; courthouse construction underway
Summary
Architects and construction manager updated the court on the voter-approved $179 million courthouse and plaza project, reported the parking garage came in under budget (final cost $13,821,987), described safety-driven design choices and a construction-manager-at-risk delivery with a guaranteed maximum price, and outlined a phased schedule targeting spring 2027 completion for all phases.
Brandy Ziegler of Fitzpatrick Architects and Steven Flournoy of Hoare Construction gave an in-depth construction update to the Smith County commission’s court on Jan. 21, describing design choices, delivery strategy and current field progress on the voter-approved courthouse and associated parking garage.
Scope and design: Ziegler said the project will produce a roughly 268,000-square-foot courthouse with separate circulation zones for public, in-custody and staff circulation; secure attorney-conference space; jury assembly seating expandable to 300; and room for future growth (current plans include eight courts with space for additional courts). "We wanted a safe building design, meaningful and efficient access to justice," Ziegler said.
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