Architects show three Justice Center options; commissioners press for more study

Brinkley, Sergeant & Wigginton’s team presented three conceptual options for a downtown Justice Center and corresponding budget forecasts. Charlie Goodman and Ryan McLemore described stacking strategies to fit a 42,000-square-foot floor plate at the proposed San Jacinto site, recommended three courtrooms per floor (rather than four), and explained how shell floors and future finish-outs would affect cost. The architects said a fully built-out option could accommodate roughly 18–22 courtrooms depending on phasing, while a more conservative option would reduce square footage and lower short-term costs.