Demolition begins Monday on Smith County courthouse project

Published 10:00 pm Wednesday, July 31, 2024

1. TylerPaper.com coverage of the courthouse project
2. TylerPaper.com coverage of downtown redevelopment
3. Website to guide residents through downtown changes

Demolition is slated to begin Monday on a block of buildings in downtown Tyler to make room for a new Smith County Courthouse.

The block of Spring Avenue properties, east of the current courthouse, will be demolished, including historic buildings. Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said in a previous interview there are plans for history to be honored in the new courthouse.

At their weekly meeting Tuesday, Smith County Commissioners approved the final maximum price for the first two phases of the courthouse project.

The commissioners heard from Stephen Flournoy, Hoar Construction project executive, and Brandy Ziegler, partner with Fitzpatrick Architects on guaranteeing the maximum price for Phases 2 and 3 of the Smith County Courthouse construction.

“The architects on the project with myself and then of course Stephen and Hoar Construction, have been working together as partners to really budget with a third party budgeter,” Ziegler said. “They’ve worked diligently to talk to local subcontractors and budget all along the way where we would stay within the bounds of the budget and the bond that the voters passed.”

Hoar Construction remained competitive throughout the bidding process, and the total cost for the courthouse project is expected to be approximately $146,701,237. This figure aligns with the project’s budgeted amount. In November 2022, 54% of voters approved the $179 million bond project, allowing the issuance of $160 million in bonds for the new courthouse and $19 million for the associated parking garage.

Work is already underway at the future courthouse site, with efforts focused on locating utilities to prevent any issues during demolition, Flournoy said. The team is currently identifying 80-year-old water lines on Fannin Street and fiber optic lines to avoid interference with existing courthouse operations.

Franklin said in a previous interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph that discussions will be had on what can be preserved, kept and restored after demolition. The current courthouse will remain in service during the construction of the new courthouse.

Officials broke ground on the parking garage phase of the project in October, with the garage really starting to take shape in the spring. The garage’s targeted completion is anticipated to be late August.

The new courthouse will replace the current 1955 structure that has security and spacing concerns, which were studied and assessed over 23 years of research that included input from residents. Officials said the new facility will have security features not allowed by the space of the current structure.

Other business

In other business Tuesday, commissioners approved a Change Order for $59,756.72 under the construction contract with SCI Construction for the Road and Bridge Fuel Facility. This funding comes from ARPA project funds.

County Engineer Frank Davis said the order includes adjustments to install UL 2085 fuel tanks instead of the originally specified UL 142 tanks to comply with current city code requirements.

“We got approved to get the first type of fuel tank and then later they sent us other requirements,” Franklin said. “[The City of Tyler] had adopted the new fire code so it was out of their hands. So it was a requirement.”

It also upgrades from single-hose to twin-hose fuel dispensers, allowing for the fueling of twice as many vehicles simultaneously. Additionally, the change covers extra piping, electrical work and associated overhead costs.

Additionally, the District Attorney’s Office and the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center requested and received approval for an upgrade to their server facilities and equipment, which will be state-funded by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, at no cost to the county.

The commissioners also renewed stop-loss coverage with Evolution Risk Partners for the Smith County Health Plan.

Also, the commissioners accepted a land donation from the City of Lindale for roadway improvements to East Centennial Boulevard and approved several Road and Bridge projects, including final plats and replats in various precincts.

Pipe and utility line installation requests were approved for:

Conterra Ultra Broadband LLC will install fiber optic cables at County Road 2213 in Precinct 2.

Charter-Spectrum will install underground fiber optic cable at CR 442, 443, 444, 445, 477, 478, 479, 481, 482, 4216, and 4217 in Precinct 3.

Charter-Spectrum will install one Class 5–30-foot pole with power supply at CR 24 E in, Precinct 3.

Charter-Spectrum will install one Class 5–30-foot pole with power supply at CR 363 in Precinct 3.

Charter-Spectrum will install aerial and underground fiber optic cable at CR 24, 25, and 2208 in Precinct 3.

Charter-Spectrum will install underground fiber optic cable and pedestals at CR 369, 366, 368, 367, 3215, 365, 363, and 364 in Precinct 3.

Kaufman Development and Construction will install a water and sewer line at CR 47 in Precinct 4.

Also at the meeting, the commissioners recognized the following employees who are celebrating notable service milestones:

Kimberly Travis, District Attorney: 25 years

Demarcus Thompson, Sheriff’s Office: 20 years

Michael West, District Attorney: 20 years

Ruby Saenz, Juvenile Services: 20 years

Kimberly Goss, Sheriff’s Office: 20 years

Rafael Vera, Juvenile Services: 15 years

Frank Davis, Road & Bridge Department: 10 years

James Lowery, Sheriff’s Office: 10 years

Gary Pinkerton, Sheriff’s Office: 10 years

Jamaul Darden, Juvenile Services: 5 years