The 22nd Judicial District and Montezuma County are one step closer to building a combined courthouse in Cortez.
Officials report that the county chose Denver architect firm Humphries Poli to draw up plans for the approximate 26,000-square foot justice center, to be located on county land next to the sheriff’s office on Driscoll Street.
The county has capped planning and construction costs at $7 million, and no tax increase or bond is expected.
Partial funding will come from a $2 million Department of Local Affairs grant awarded to the county in December.
Up to $5 million additional ($2.6 million of which is a county match for the DOLA grant), will be paid for in-house, reported county administrator Melissa Brunner.
“The courthouse will be paid by the DoLA grant, the capital fund and general fund carryover,” she stated via email. “No increase in taxes is anticipated.”
Commissioner James Lambert said based on revenue projections, in-house funding appears possible, and that no loans are planned for now either.
“By the end it looks like we will have enough saved,” he said. “We’re still at the beginning of the planning and building process.”
The county is the last in the state to have separate county and district court buildings. A justice system scattered throughout Cortez has been inconvenient for the public and a challenge for court staff and law enforcement.
The District Attorney’s office is not located at either courthouse, and the county jail and sheriff department are separated from probation offices.
Officials at first envisioned remodeling the East Tower of the county building to combine the courts. To free up space the county purchased the First National Bank building in 2012 and relocated the assessor, treasurer, and county clerks offices there.
But after remodel estimates came in at more than $4 million, the move was seen as an expensive fix that would outgrow itself and not last as long as a new building.
Initial plans are for the new courthouse to include county and district courtrooms, public court records, and probation offices.
“You have simply outgrown both buildings and there is no viable option for expansion at the present location,” said Tom Franklin, a planner with the Colorado court administration.
Architectural plans for the new justice center are expected by December, 2015, Lambert said, and construction will be put out to a public bid early 2016. A ground breaking date has not been set, but is probable for next year.
Once built, the county will have freed up space to expand county services into. There is 8,000 square feet available at the old clerk and assessor offices. The new justice center will free up another 15,200 square feet now occupied by court services.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
