Adams County’s long‑running Justice Center project moved into a new refinement phase Tuesday as commissioners reviewed a fresh concept layout from Elevatus Architecture and prepared for a detailed walk‑through of the historic courthouse later this week.
Commissioners said the updated concept focuses on office placement and workflow inside the proposed two‑building system that has been under discussion for several months. The plan would return Superior Court to the historic courthouse while relocating several justice‑system offices into a new structure across Third Street.
“We have a new concept that Elevatus has presented as far as office layout and whatnot that we’re considering,” the board said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Commissioners scheduled meetings with department heads for Tuesday afternoon to review the proposed layout and gather feedback. The goal, they said, is to confirm whether the design works for each office before Elevatus and construction manager Garmong advance to cost modeling.
Later this week, Facilities Director Rick Shaffer and the commissioners will walk the courthouse with representatives from Elevatus, Garmong, and engineering firm SEI. That walkthrough will help define the scope of work required to convert the courthouse’s first floor into a modern courtroom setting suitable for Superior Court operations.
The Justice Center project has been evolving since early spring, when commissioners shifted away from a large standalone judicial complex and instead began exploring a two‑building approach that preserves the courthouse’s role in the justice system while creating a new annex for the Clerk, Prosecutor, Probation, Community Corrections, Public Defender, and related offices.
No cost package or final design was presented Tuesday, and commissioners emphasized that the project remains in the evaluation stage. The next steps will depend on department‑head feedback and the results of this week’s courthouse assessment.
“We really don’t have a lot here,” commissioners said, noting that the project is still in the concept‑refinement phase. “We’re meeting with department heads this afternoon… and we’ll be walking through the courthouse on Thursday.”
The Justice Center discussion is expected to return to the agenda once Elevatus and Garmong incorporate feedback and prepare updated cost estimates.