Athens-Clarke County New Judicial Center Construction and Related Services

The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia is advancing a major capital project: the construction of a new Judicial Center. The proposed facility will encompass a total area of 218,215 BGSF, including 179,557 GSF of building area, 20,000 GSF of secure parking, 6,000 GSF for a sally port drive, and 12,658 GSF for building alignment and court records storage. The project includes multiple courtrooms and offices (Grand Jury, District Attorney, IT, Court Administration, Solicitor, State Court, Treatment Services, Juvenile Court, Probate Court, Superior Court, Jury Assembly, Clerk of Court, Magistrate, ADR, Public Defender, Sheriff Offices, Municipal Probation, Record Storage, Sheriff Holding/Transport, and Secure Parking). The site plan provides for 53 secure parking spaces and 4 public ADA spaces. The estimated total project cost is $211,994,000, with $141,309,000 allocated for construction (escalated to end of 2027) and $70,685,000 for additional project costs (including FF&E, public art, LEED/building commissioning, relocation, design/construction support, legal/testing/PM/moving, and contingencies). The project will be financed via an Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA), which can issue revenue bonds. The procurement process will include an RFP for a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), with schematic design and RFP process beginning after June 2, 2026. Additional opportunities for vendors may include design services, construction support, demolition, site development, FF&E (including security, A/V, wireless systems, phones), LEED and building commissioning, moving/relocation services, public art, and legal/testing/project management. The timeline anticipates schematic design and RFP for CMAR in mid-2026, approval of schematic design and additional fees in October 2026, approval of CMAR contract for preconstruction services in November 2026, final design and permitting completion in Q3 2027, site work and early demolition in Q3 2027, approval of final GMP in Q4 2027, and construction start in Q1 2028 with a 24-month build.