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County Plans To Build 2-Story Courthouse

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By RAY REYES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

PLANT CITY - A grassy parking area west of the aging county complex on Michigan Avenue will be the home of a new 60,000-square-foot courthouse by 2011, officials told city commissioners during a presentation Jan. 28.

It was welcome news to commissioners, some of whom have lobbied - and heard proposals over the years - for a courthouse to replace the one on 302 N. Michigan Ave.

Plans call for the two-story courthouse to serve as a regional service center for residents of east Hillsborough County, said William Hand, project manager of the county's real estate department.
Court staff members are expected to move into the updated building by October 2011, and health department staff members, who share the old complex, will move to another site, Hand said.

Where the health department will be relocated has yet to be decided, officials said.

The old building, which has parts dating to the 1950s, will be demolished and converted into a parking lot, Hand said. About $11.5 million from the Community Investment sales Tax and an additional $5 million in state grants will be used to fund the project, Hand said.

The design is expected to be finalized in a few months and bidding for construction work should begin by fall, officials said.

The October 2011 target date is a cushion in the event that construction hits unexpected delays, Hand said. But "if everything goes according to plan, it will be earlier than that," he said, referring to the possibility that the courthouse may have its ribbon-cutting in 2010.

County officials have discussed the option of buying an existing building and converting it into a courthouse. But the spacious grassy parking area across the street from the existing complex convinced officials that the best option would be to "start new," Hand said.

Mayor Rick Lott told Hand he would like the new courthouse to reflect the architecture and style of the nearby historical downtown district. Lott and other commissioners said they prefer a red brick design, and Hand said that concept is being discussed.

"We want this to complement our community," Lott said.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 865-4433 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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