Okaloosa to consider renovations to courthouse annex

SHALIMAR - Plans for Okaloosa County's courts needs have been in flux since commissioners earlier this year suspended work on a new judicial center at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds.

Commissioners could decide how to proceed as early as Tuesday.

Heery HLM Design, which previously was tasked with designing the courthouse extension at the fairgrounds, was directed in March to study the county's options for the existing courthouse annex in Shalimar.

Representatives from Heery will present their findings at the commissioners' meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday's at the courthouse in Crestview.

"Essentially, this is looking at ways to maybe give them some options to stay in their current annex and not build a new one," said Bob Egleston, executive associate at Heery. "And that was our whole task for doing this next study. The three options really give them three choices for how they might go forward with renovating the facility."

The first alternative is simply to improve security and make at least one of the courtrooms at the annex compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. That is estimated to cost between $809,500 and $2 million, depending on the number of courtrooms renovated and other smaller improvements.

The second option takes care of the security and accessibility issues of the first alternative, but also would expand several buildings at the annex to provide additional office space. That is estimated to cost $9.1 million.

The third alternative is the most dramatic. It would include demolishing several buildings and constructing a new 87,000-square-foot judicial center at the annex. Also included would be a parking garage, about 30,000 square feet of court administration office space and other renovations. The cost estimate is $42.3 million.

"That's looking at a more long-term approach and just forgetting about building at the fairgrounds and stay solely at that annex site," Egleston said.

WANT TO ATTEND?
Okaloosa County commissioners will consider options to renovate the courthouse annex in Shalimar at their meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse in Crestview.