Courthouse project updated

During their regular meeting on May 14, Smith County Commissioners received an update on the county’s parking garage and courthouse construction projects, which are scheduled to be open in the fall of 2024, said Public Information Officer Casey Murphy.
The five-story, 543-vehicle parking garage is on schedule, Murphy said, at a cost of $15.4 million.
“We are extremely pleased with the progress. “We are on time and under budget for this project,” Brandy Ziegler, partner with Fitzpatrick Architects, told the court.
With her presentation, Ziegler showed an updated time-lapse video, capturing the work that has been done on the parking garage since it began in November.
“This is a phenomenal structure, and it has been a pleasure to watch it go up,” Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. “Thank you to Hoar and SCI Construction Companies, Fitzpatrick Architects, and all of our Smith County team for your commitment to this project. Additionally, I must thank all our employees and the public for your patience and understanding during the construction.”
Stephen Flournoy, project executive with Hoar Construction, said as of Monday, 458 of the 504 precast pieces have been set. He compares the pieces to Legos that fit in place. A 212-foot, 275-ton crane has been used to fit the pieces together.
After the precast pieces are all placed, they will be reinforced with welded mesh wire and concrete, he said.
Construction of the voter-approved parking garage is still on schedule to be completed in October 2024, even after a month of bad weather days.
The $179 million Courthouse and Parking Garage Bond was passed by voters on November 8, 2022.
The current actual cost of the parking garage is $15.4 million, while $16.9 million was the budgeted total. The remainder will go to the courthouse budget, which is currently $163,600,257.
Over the last 10 months, the design team has worked to develop construction drawings and specifications for the new Smith County Courthouse. Consisting of more than 40 architects and consulting engineers, the design team has worked in harmony with stakeholders and Hoar Construction to achieve the same end goals represented in the construction drawings. These include safety and security; functionality and efficiency; balancing the quality and aesthetics of a building; and doing all of it within the budget the Smith County taxpayers approved, Ziegler said.
“We’ve all worked so great together as a team because we all have one goal in mind – to have a project we can be proud of for the next 100 years.
Demolition of the block of Spring Avenue properties, east of the current courthouse, is expected to begin in July 2024.
“July 1 – we will take over the block,” Flournoy said. “I will tell everybody: buckle up! This is a great job … everyone involved is looking forward to getting started on Phase 2” of the construction project – the courthouse.
Mrs. Ziegler added that the courthouse project has spurred other development downtown. The City of Tyler has come along as a partner, with plans to improve the square and surrounding sidewalks and streets, with a $17 million project, she said.
The city’s project is expected to be complete around the same time as the construction of the courthouse and surrounding square.  The move of everyone from the courthouse to the new courthouse will take place in fall of 2026, she said. That move, followed by the demolition of the current courthouse and construction of the east side of the square, is scheduled to be completed in 2027.