Work continues on the Montgomery County Justice Center construction site in downtown Norristown
What is going on with the Montgomery County Justice Center?
It’s a question on the minds of many, as construction continues on the large scale redevelopment project in downtown Norristown.
The $415 million project is anticipated to revamp the county’s judicial infrastructure and further bolster revitalization efforts in the county seat of Norristown.
Previous public comment sessions have heard from area residents critical of cost and a lack of public information associated with the project. Jesse King, director of Montgomery County Assets and Infrastructure, offered a status report at a recent Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting.
"I think it’s tremendously important to have transparency with this project,” King said.
Facilities Needed Update
Noting that the Montgomery County Court House is 150 years old, King cited several "service, operational, and energy inefficiencies” were recognized as officials sought to devise a county campus redevelopment plan. King noted in his presentation that "court and office buildings are plagued by age, poor initial design, and compromised integrity, resulting in inefficient systems and safety issues.”
Citing monetary statistics from 2015, King said it would cost an estimated $180 million to conduct "minimum repairs and renovations” to facilities. That figure would "not address any space consolidation, parking, or public space issues, and would do no planning for future Montgomery County needs.”
"The courthouse is in rough shape. It is in need of a massive renovation to bring it up to a standard of safety and code that is appropriate for employees working in there moving forward,” he said.
The property also includes Hancock Square Park at the corner of Main and Swede streets.
"To say it nicely, Hancock Park was an inhospitable and underutilized public space,” King said.
Vision for Future
King said in his presentation the space’s "current configuration and fortress-like presence of the Main Street courthouse entrance” is "perceived to have hampered retail and residential development in Norristown.”
An asset management study contract was first awarded in 2014 to explore the undertaking of a county campus plan. In the last decade, firms Skanksa USA and Skidmore Owings and Merrill have taken on construction management and architectural and engineering services, respectively.
King rattled off several terms associated with the project’s vision, hoping the end result would be modern, yet timeless, open, sustainable and flexible for years to come for area residents and county employees alike.
The multimillion–dollar Justice Center project broke ground in July 2021 and is expected to wrap up by 2026.
Once completed, King said the project is expected to "nearly triple the size of our courthouse building and increase the size of Hancock Square Park from 40,000-to-113,000 square feet.”
It has a nine-figure price tag, with $195 million spent so far, which King clarified was "inclusive of all costs.” The project will result in the consolidation and modernization of the courthouse and corresponding spaces. While the construction phases span from 2020 to 2026, the $415 million budget for the project was laid out in 2017.
"The original project budget … of $415 million accounts for the work completed across that entire span of time over those nine years,” King said. "Our teams have worked and will continue to work to maintain that budget number.”
Monitoring Costs
Costs associated with the project’s first phase were around $9.4 million, which came in $1.48 million under budget, according to King. Contracts were awarded in April 2021 and work wrapped up in March 2022. After demolishing the underground parking garage and nearby Wells Fargo bank building, King said additional work focused on "prepar(ing) civil grading.”
The project’s second phase is dedicated to building the new facility. Budgeted at $228 million, there was $235 million earmarked since contracts were awarded in August 2021. Work included the Montgomery County Justice Center construction and Hancock Square Park, according to King.
While he acknowledged that bids came in around 3 percent "over anticipated costs,” King also attributed "construction inflation” for the $7 million deficit, a figure which he said "ballooned to over 18 percent” from 2019 to 2021. Work on the second phase is expected to finish up between April and June of 2025, according to King’s presentation.
The third phase, beginning in spring 2024, has a $92 million budget to spotlight the courthouse renovation, which has an anticipated completion date of late 2026. The procurement process is expected to take place in conjunction with Skanska USA in the coming months, King said. Another update related to the project’s budget and timeline is forthcoming, King said.
"It should be noted that because of the span of time from the time the budget was developed until we go to procurement on that phase of the project, the county does intend to update the project budget prior to finalizing bids for that phase,” King said.
Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder said she hoped the finished product would "give Norristown, our county seat, the boost that it needs.” She added that she’d like to "do this again so that we can have that level of transparency and hear what’s going on.”
Commissioner Tom DiBello agreed. "I think it’s extremely important. We need to do this on a regular basis … especially as we’re looking (at the) next year-and-a-half where a lot of stuff is going to happen,” he said, adding "I look forward to seeing where we’re at, getting an update.”
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