DSC_9238.JPG

Smith County officials broke ground Wednesday on a new five-story parking garage in downtown Tyler.

The ceremony kicked off construction of the structure, which will house more than 540 parking spaces for members of the public, county employees and jurors.

Smith County Judge Neal Franklin told dozens of community members gathered at the groundbreaking that although it’s the initial kickoff for a new project, “years of work have already taken place.”

“Our celebration today represents the transition from envisioning, planning and dreaming to the actual tangible breaking of ground,” Franklin said. “I could not be more excited to see the dreams of many become reality.”

The $19 million parking garage is part of a voter-approved bond project which also includes a new county courthouse. The garage will be built in the parking lot next to the Smith County Annex Building, at 200 E. Ferguson St., and across the street from the future site of the new courthouse.

Construction is expected to last 10 months, Franklin said. Fencing will be placed around the construction site on Monday.

Meters around the annex, along Ferguson and Spring, have been bagged for free visitor parking during construction. Jurors will need to park at the Fair Plaza Parking Garage, at 208 S. College Ave., which is free.

MC Mercer, preconstruction executive for Hoar Construction, is excited to get started on the project.

“Our team is thrilled to begin work on the first phase of what will be a legacy project for Smith County and downtown Tyler,” he said. “Hoar Construction, along with our local partner SCI Construction, are grateful to be the construction partner alongside Fitzpatrick Architects and Smith County.”

Franklin thanked all those involved in each stage of the project, including those who helped get it in front of the commissioners in August 2022 when now-U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran presided over the court. Moran couldn’t attend the groundbreaking but sent well wishes as the county takes this huge step forward in the process.

“This project will not just be an improvement to our local transportation infrastructure – it will be instrumental in fostering growth and continued prosperity in our community for years to come,” Moran said in a statement.

Moran also thanked Franklin and the commissioners for their “tireless efforts to bring our community together and see this project come to fruition.”

Over the past 23 years, numerous studies have been conducted to assess the needs of the courthouse and the judiciary, and offer suggestions on possible solutions. Each study showed a new courthouse and associated parking structure were needed to accommodate the county’s growth along with logistic and security needs of the county’s judicial system.

Planning workshops, presentations, community meetings, and a citizen input survey preceded the bond, which was called in August 2022 and approved Nov. 8, 2022 with 53.73% of the vote. Ballots showed 40,120 people voted for the issuance of $160 million in bonds for the new courthouse and $19 million for the associated parking structure. There were 34,552 people who voted against the bond.

After the parking garage is built, construction will begin on the courthouse, which will replace the current 1955 structure that has security and spacing concerns. The new courthouse will have security features not allowed by the space of the current structure.

The location of the planned courthouse, on the east side of the square, was chosen by stakeholders because of its lowest cost to taxpayers, among other benefits, according to the county. A block of buildings will be demolished to make room for the courthouse.

City officials were among those gathered at Wednesday’s ceremony. Franklin thanked Mayor Don Warren and his team for their proven efforts at collaboration to improve downtown as a whole.

The city and county in September approved a design plan for the stakeholders’ shared public spaces downtown. The plan spans about 3 acres from College Avenue to Fannin Avenue. The east and west sides will connect seamlessly with a community space leading toward the new courthouse. The green space will feature a multi-use structure with storage, restrooms and an amphitheater to capitalize on the area.

Additionally, visitors can look forward to the convenience of shade structures around the community space. An additional 20 feet will be added to the sidewalks bordering businesses to promote safer walking paths and restaurant patio areas. The current monuments on the square will be moved to the north and south sides of the new courthouse.

For more coverage, visit www.tylerpaper.com/newcourthouse.