by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
On Sept. 20, the General Services Administration will open the doors to the new, $80 million, 14-story, 400,000 square-foot United States Courthouse at Jacksonville. The opening will mark the culmination of three years of steady progress for a facility that was built from the ground up.
At first glance, the new courthouse comes across as an austere, mostly glass structure. However, what the reflective exterior walls hide is a facility that has been tweaked and amended to suit the personal tastes of virtually all the 17 federal judges that will systematically move in this fall. The 19 judges chambers — two are set aside for visiting judges — have been designed and completed with amenities that satisfy each judge’s preferences and professional demands.
And, while the courthouse may look fairly uniform from floor to floor, each level has its own use and personality. Several floors are set aside for judges chambers and courtrooms. There’s a massive, multi-floor common area facing Hemming Plaza that serves as both the main entrance and the last bastion of informality. United States attorneys have their own floor as does the United States Marshall’s Office.
The simple appearance of most of the construction belies a complex, ultra-protective design that makes the courthouse essentially impenetrable. Glass walls aren’t glass; they are an impact-resistant plexiglass. Cells are not typical cells; the walls are extra thick and reinforced with steel and there are more cameras watching prisoners than cover the Super Bowl — or so it seems. Some walls are much more than sheet rock and framing studs; they also have a layer of kevlar. Even the judges chambers and offices have been modified for safety and privacy.
“The walls have been double studded, insulated and double sheet rocked,” explained Beers Skanska superintendent Tom Sherman. “Some are double studded, double rocked, insulated, then double studded and rocked again. They are completely soundproof.”
The courtrooms, located at the corners of several floors, are simple in design and appearance, yet as high tech as possible. Juror chairs swivel, recline and have arms. There are even foot rails in an attempt to keep feet off the woodwork and other chairs. They are both elegant and understated, conservative but modern. New carpet covers the floors, marble, limestone and wood veneer cover the walls. The lighting is obvious and soft, but undetectable.
“From the back of the courtroom, you can’t see any fixtures except those eye fixtures,” said Sherman, pointing to a few subtle lights aimed at the bench.
Judges and prisoners alike will be shielded from the public until the appropriate time. The judges have two private elevators that only stop in the basement and a few select floors. Prisoners will enter and leave the building through a maze of extremely secure checkpoints, accompanied constantly by a U.S. Marshall. The cells are also isolated from the rest of the building.
“Tuberculosis is rampant in jails,” said Brian O’Shea, another superintendent with Beers Skanska. “That’s why they are separate from the other floors. The cells can just be hosed out.”
“The air in the cells does not get circulated,” said Robert Utsey, director of development for Beers Skanska. “It exits the building.”
Over the next two months, the new courthouse will slowly change hands from builder — Beers Skanska — to owner — GSA.
“They [GSA] accept the space as it is completed. Once a floor is complete, Beers no longer does any work. The GSA has prime subcontractors that come in and they may do some work,” said O’Shea, explaining that the dozens of tabs of blue tape indicate areas that still need minor work done.
Outside, concrete is being poured while landscapers install trees, shrubs and flowers. With nothing major left on the agenda, Beers Skanska will soon turn the whole facility over to the GSA for touch up and final inspections. And they’ll take great comfort in a job very well done.
“We’ve come a long way in 108 weeks,” said O’Shea. “We’ve only got eight to go.”