New Plant City Courthouse Could Open In 2011

Construction of a new courthouse in Plant City could begin by July, the architect for the Hillsborough County project said.

Design of the 60,000-square-foot courthouse is nearing completion, and construction bids will be solicited next month, said Duncan Broyd, senior vice president of HOK, the Tampa architectural firm for the project.

Under that schedule, and allowing two years for construction, the courthouse could open in the summer of 2011, he said.

The two-story structure will be built on the grassy parking area across the street from the existing county complex, 302 N. Michigan Ave.

That building of about 40,000 square feet has portions dating to the 1950s. It will eventually be demolished and the site converted into a parking lot.

City commissioners have requested the courthouse exterior complement City Hall and other brick buildings downtown.

Broyd said the exact shade of red brick has yet to be selected, but the bricks will be of varying textures to add visual interest, with strawberry flower medallions on those bricks at eye level. That strawberry flower theme could also be incorporated into the rotunda flooring, he said.

Bill Hand, project manager of the county's real estate department, said activity at the building site may begin sooner than the anticipated July ground breaking. "There is some environmental work on the property we need to get done," Hand told commissioners.

Among other things, the new building will have four courtrooms for misdemeanor or felony trials, Hand said. Felony trials cannot be held at the existing building, which lacks holding facilities, he said.

As for estimated cost, "We're trying to keep the building at $15.5" million, said Nancy Yanez, deputy court administrator. Money already spent for the land ($2.5 million), plus expenses for environmental issues and a contingency fund will create a total project price estimated at $21.4 million, she said.