The completion of renovations on the fifth floor of the County-City Building includes three new courtrooms and associated spaces that bring new technologies, expanded energy conservation, and increased accessibility to the Pierce County District Court. The addition of these courtrooms adds capacity for jury trials, allowing District Court to better serve the community. These updates complete Phase 3 in one of the largest renovation projects since the County-City Building’s 1959 grand opening.
Take a virtual tour of the new fifth floor courtrooms and additional spaces here.
The additional spaces include new judge’s chambers, jury deliberation rooms, and meeting spaces for attorney/client confidential discussions and conferencing. An added safety feature of the upgrades is direct building access to the jail for safe inmate transport.
Touch-screen TVs have been added to help display evidence while allowing for highlighted or enhanced viewing and allow video hearings from those in jail. Another feature is improved ADA accessibility with wheelchair access that includes multiple ramp access points.
The renovation of the 60-year-old building space also included various enhancements for energy conservation. The overhaul included new insulation to reduce heating and cooling costs, LED lights with controls to reduce power usage, and sensor operated plumbing fixtures to reduce water use.
The completion of Phase 3 brings about the final portion of a larger remodel plan which included renovations to the second, third, and fourth floors in previous phases which began in 2001 Phase 3 included 7,893 square footage of renovations over 10 months for a total of $3,210,525.
The design is a result of a cooperative effort by architects, engineers, Pierce County District Court, Facilities Management department, and the Sheriff’s Department Corrections Division.
Pierce County District Court is proud to continue serving justice for the community with these new courtrooms and improved facilities. The Courtrooms have since been retrofitted with COVID-19 enhancements allowing in-person hearings while helping ensure the safety and health of those in all our courtrooms when the Courts are open.