South County Courthouse Expansion & Parking Garage

This expansion and renovation project includes a modern courthouse facility, as well as a parking garage for the courthouse and the adjacent library.

The 143,000-square-foot facility houses seven state-of-the-art general and specialty courtrooms, judge’s chambers, and judicial support spaces, as well as offices for the district attorney, public defender, and clerk of the court. The courthouse also included a sally port for prisoners.

The project was highly complex given its timeframe during the height of the construction boom. Unforeseen conditions, skyrocketing costs, technology desires, and security mandates required PGAL to make priority decisions and potential changes to specifications on a daily basis. Keeping the facility fully operational during this three-year multiple phase and bid package building program required very close coordination with the client and CM.

PGAL provided complete programming and needs assessment, as well as architecture services for the parking structure. The 141,000-square-foot, three-level garage accommodates 369 cars, and was designed to allow for future horizontal expansion, which would nearly double its size to 725 cars. The parking garage serves the courthouse as well as the adjacent library.