Bill Type and Number: Ordinance 2007-401
Sponsor: Council President at the
request of the Mayor
Date of Introduction: April 10, 2007
Committee(s) of Reference: F, TEUS
Date of Analysis: April 13, 2007
Type of Action: Approval of multi-year project
funding plan; authorization of special revenue bond issue; CIP amendment;
authorization to engage design and construction professionals; extension of
portions of, and repeal of portions of, prior ordinances; policy direction to
maintain use of a city street
Bill Summary: The bill provides for a
revised plan for financing and construction of a new approximately 15-story,
$316 million county criminal and civil courthouse on the site previously
prepared for that use on the western edge of downtown. The bill approves a future $52.5 million
special revenue bond issue to finance construction of the project in
conjunction with existing Better Jacksonville Plan funds and other
court-related funding sources. The bill amends the 2006-11 Capital Improvement
Program to authorize priority 1 status for the elements and phases encompassed
within the reconfigured “Duval County Courthouse Facilities Project” (see
attached). The bill authorizes the Mayor
to engage consultants, design professionals, construction firms, and other
professional assistance necessary to design and construct the new
courthouse.
The
bill extends the appointment of the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee
established via Ordinance 2004-1339-E to review and approve the design of the
exterior of the facility. The bill
restricts the use of the funds to the uses specified in the attached Duval
County Courthouse, provides that the Mayor may consider authorizing use of
program contingency funds to address requests made by the Chief Judge for
reasonable additions to the courthouse program, and provides for an appeals
mechanism to the City Council should the Mayor deny a request of the Chief
Judge costing $100,000 or more. Finally,
the bill declares that the courthouse location will not cause a permanent
closure of
Background Information: The project documentation
proposes a courthouse of 15 stories, plus a penthouse and basement,
encompassing a total of 611,000 square feet.
Of that amount, 509,000 sq. ft. would be finished initially and 102,000
would be left as empty shelled space.
The project also includes renovation of the old Federal Courthouse
(205,560 sq. ft.) for use by the State Attorney and allocation of 60,000 sq.
ft. in the Ed Ball Building to house the Public Defender’s Office. The project, at completion, would house 29
criminal courtrooms, 15 civil courtrooms and 60 judicial offices. Twenty-five criminal courtrooms, 11 civil
courtrooms and 52 judicial offices would be completed in the initial
construction phase.
Policy Impact Area: Courthouse construction
Fiscal Impact: The total project budget is
approximately $316 million, of which $58.5 million has already been expended
and $52.5 million of which would be provided by a bond issue in FY09-10.
Analyst: Clements