Botetourt County tops out new courthouse; officials say project about 56% complete, on track for fall 2027

Botetourt County officials and contractors on Thursday celebrated the topping-out of the county’s new circuit courthouse, saying the project has reached its highest point and is on schedule for substantial completion in fall 2027.

"With the placement of the cupola, we have officially reached the highest point of the building," said Rich Evans, the county capital projects manager. He told attendees the milestone is a traditional sign that a major phase of construction has been completed and credited designers, contractors and county staff for their work.

The county provided a set of construction metrics at the ceremony: the top of the cupola sits about 86 feet 7.5 inches above the basement floor and about 1,330 feet above sea level; more than 14,000 cubic yards of rock have been removed to date; roughly 200 tons of structural steel and 93 tons of rebar have been placed; crews have used about 142 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete and 30,000 concrete masonry blocks; and the project has logged more than 77,000 man-hours so far.

The general contractor for the courthouse is Jamieson Lewis; the firm’s project manager, Jim Bien, credited on-site field leadership — including superintendent Paul Whitney, assistant superintendent Jimmy Smith and project engineer Jacob Carroll — for advancing the work. "Jamieson Lewis is grateful to play just a small part in bringing that vision to life," Bien said.

Michael Schmidt, project architect with Architectural Partners, said the design and construction aim to preserve continuity with earlier county courthouses while serving modern needs. "It’s been a privilege to partner with Botetourt County," Schmidt said.

Officials said the project timeline began with a study in 2020, a design kickoff in 2022 and construction commencing in 2025; from study to completion the full effort will span about seven-and-a-half years. County staff and contractors told the audience the building is approximately 56% complete based on schedule. The county’s stated near-term priorities are putting on the roof, drying in the building, installing windows and starting mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins; permanent power and a working clock mechanism are expected once the building is dried in, likely two to three months after that milestone.

Speakers also noted efforts to preserve and reuse features from the prior courthouse: the bell (stamped 1974) and other salvaged elements such as a rail and the original vault door will be incorporated into the new courthouse to provide historical continuity.

The ceremony closed with organizers inviting the public to remain for additional activities and refreshments and with a reminder that a ribbon-cutting and official opening are expected in the fall of 2027, subject to construction progress.