Council Narrows Court Proposals to Three

The Fredericksburg City Council, with no discussion during open session, approved a new short list of three proposed new city court facilities. Two schemes were rejected. The new short list was approved 6-1, with Ward 3 Councilor Fred Howe dissenting. Still left in consideration are Donley's Scheme Five, First Choice Scheme Two and W.M. Jordan's proposal. 

FirstChoice's Scheme Two would see a new three story, 106,000 square foot, $35 million courts building constructed next to City Hall on the site of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court at Princess Anne and Charlotte streets. This plan would require the juvenile and domestic relations court temporarily relocate to Executive Plaza during construction. Some aspects of this design seemed to mirror the Renwick building more than the others, with a colonnaded tower rising from the structure facing Princess Anne Street. This building would not house all of the court facilities, calling for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to be relocated to current General District Court building, while the General District Court would be housed in the new building. Scheme Two is estimated to take 30 months to complete. 

W.M. Jordan Cos. also survived the second cut. Their plan calls for the construction of two new court facilities on the sites of the General District Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court at a cost of $32.6 million. Under their plan, the Circuit Court would be relocated from the Renwick building to the space currently occupied by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. That court, along with the General District Court would be relocated to the site currently occupied by the General District Court. Once vacated, the Renwick Building would then be renovated to house the Commonwealth Attorney's office. 

Rounding out the designs still in consideration is a single proposal from Donley's and HDR Inc. which would see the court facility built on the site of Fire Station 1. In its place would be built a $34.2 million court facility which would house the Circuit Court and the General District Court. This plan does not require the demolition of the existing General District Court building or the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court building. Those structures would instead be refurbished to house the drug court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Construction for this plan is estimated to take 44 months.