LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Tarrant County - Vandergriff Civil Courts Building

Broaddus & Associates served the Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court to as their representative and project manager for the construction of the $74 million Vandergriff Civil Courts Building in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.  The 232,000 square-foot, six-story courthouse is named in honor of Tom Vandergriff, the late Tarrant County Judge, U.S. Congressman and Arlington Mayor.  The project consists of a basement level and six stories above street level. It includes 13 courtrooms, including one measuring 2,800 square-foot that can accommodate 120 people for more complex, multiparty litigation.  It houses 12 civil district courts, eight administrative judicial regional offices, district clerk, jury services and expansion space on the sixth floor for the 2nd Court of Appeals.

In keeping with Fort Worth’s strict façade standards, the exterior of the facility uses the Texas granite from the same quarry that provided rock for the historic Tarrant County Courthouse nearby.  The new courthouse also features three of the 40-foot-tall Indiana limestone angels that once graced the outside of the previous civil courts building, which was demolished in 2013.  The interior lobbies have granite walls with terrazzo floors, while the courtrooms are finished with high-end custom wood paneling and trim.

Early in the project, the team identified the ordering, quarrying and shipping of the German stone specified for the floors and walls as a crucial item to maintain the project on schedule. The energy efficient building is currently seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification. The project, which was completed on budget, represents a continued relationship between Tarrant County and Broaddus: the firm served as project manager for the $83 million Lon Evans Corrections Center and the $27 million Medical Examiner’s Office, both of which were completed in 2012.