A design study for a new municipal court building was presented to Springfield City Council at their lunch meeting Tuesday.
The study was conducted over the last year by N-FORM Architecture to analyze the integrity of the current building, 625 N. Benton, as well as practicality and how the building complies with general courthouse standards. N-FORM Principal Architect Stephanie Shadwick presented the findings of the study. She said the court has been at its current location since 1993.
"This was a little over 30 years ago, so as you can imagine their needs have evolved over those past 30 years," she said.
N-FORM's presentation outlined problem areas in and surrounding the building, like floor space needs, maintenance and parking issues as well as ADA accessibility.
Shadwick noted that most spaces and rooms in the building are congested, like the parking lot, the security screening area, the lobby and hallways, the number of courtrooms, employee work stations, break rooms and restrooms, as well as a lack of space for files in storage areas. She also mentioned a need for more offices for employees or services.
"Originally there were spaces that were designated for storage within this facility, but those have been reallocated as offices to help alleviate some of the need for more office space," said Shadwick.
The lack of space, she added, can also be a safety concern.
"We have to separate the public, the staff and the inmates," Shadwick said. "You do not want those paths to cross, so this (the project) is in line with current courthouse design standards."
Shadwick also cited maintenance issues, like water damage to the floors and ceilings, outdated utilities and equipment, visible settlement cracks and an inadequate HVAC system. She also pointed out violations to ADA accessibility guidelines, like missing ramps and vertical grab bars, and restroom and restroom doorways that are too small to be wheelchair accessible.
Springfield Municipal Court currently sits at almost 10,000 sq. ft, while the proposed site would be three stories and just over 44,000 sq. ft. It would offer adequate space for employees and the public, additional court rooms and space for courthouse services, as well as more parking, secure areas for file storage and separate areas for inmates, according to Shadwick.
The proposed cost of the project is $42,000,000, and the potential project site is located at the corner of Chestnut Expressway and Boonville Ave.
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