by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The City Council Courthouse Oversight Special Committee met Monday for the sixth and final time this year and members were pleased to hear of the efforts to hire locally for construction on the new Duval County Courthouse.
“I’m excited about these numbers,” said council and committee member Denise Lee. “I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
Dave Schneider, senior manager for the project, reported to the committee that “on any given day, 75 percent of the workers on the job site are ‘First Coast’ residents, based on the addresses listed on their government-issued IDs.” The First Coast includes Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
In order to keep workers informed about openings, a public information bulletin board has been installed at the main gate to the construction site to provide the names and phone numbers of all subcontractors on the job. A courthouse jobs application desk is on the first floor of the Ed Ball Building.
Turner Construction Co. was chosen in 2009 to take over as the design-builder of the project.
Recently two local companies were chosen to provide technology packages for the project. Security electronics was awarded to Adkins Electric, headquartered in North Jacksonville, and voice/data (structured cabling) was awarded to Miller Electric.
“It shows we are paying attention and trying to promote more local participation in the project,” said Lee.
The current Duval County Courthouse on Bay Street was opened more than 50 years ago and the new project is only the fourth courthouse to be built in Duval County in the past 175 years.
The previous report listed the project at 47 percent complete as of Oct. 29. The most recent update listed the courthouse as 52 percent complete and on target to meet the May 2012 deadline.
The foundation and structure are complete, and exterior precast, curtain wall and roofing are nearing completion.
356-2466