A past leader of the Meninak Club of Jacksonville brought the chief judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit to the club’s Monday lunch for an update on the new Duval County Courthouse project.
Circuit Judge Fred Tygart was the Meninak president in 1996 and introduced Chief Judge Donald Moran, who was positive about the project for the most part.
“There are some controversies,” said Moran, referring to the debate on whether or not to reopen Monroe Street in front of the new courthouse.
“I think you’ll see it should be closed. One of things I ask you to do, if you ride down Adams Street and stop at where the courthouse is, and look to your right, and say that we are going to put another major thoroughfare between Adams and the courthouse. I don’t see how anyone would logically think it should be done,” he said.
The City Council is reviewing a proposed ordinance that would place a moratorium on the reconstruction of Monroe Street in front of the new courthouse.
The building is being developed on a section of Monroe Street and the plan is to reopen the road by curving it around the front of the new courthouse.
Proponents of opening the road want the grid road system restored Downtown, while opponents point out the danger of pedestrians having to cross two roads to reach the courthouse.
Meninak members also received an education about Duval County courthouses.
Brian Couch of KBJ Architects Inc. pointed out that the city has been home to five state courthouses.
The current Duval County Courthouse was built in 1958 along the shores of the St. Johns River.
Tom Rensing, a principal at KBJ, said the original plans for the new courthouse included a nine-floor building, but due to the cost per floor, about $27 million, the plans were changed to the seven-floor model.
“Seven floors made the building more functional,” said Rensing.
The building was designed to place the functions of the Clerk of Courts on the first and second floors to reduce public travel through the building.
Rensing said about 67 percent of the courthouse business concerns the Clerk of Courts and concentrating those offices on the first two floors “limits the amount of travel going up and down and throughout the building.”
He also reported that 68 percent of the courtrooms are finished.
“We are on schedule and on budget to move in May of 2012,” said Rensing.
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