Maricopa Downtown Court Tower – Facts at a Glance
- Opening Date: February 2012
- Substantial Completion: November 2011
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona; on the block bordered by First and Second Avenues, and Jackson and Madison Streets
- Budget: $340,975,990
- Project Manager: Kenny W. Harris, P.E., Assistant County Manager
- Program Manager: Ron Ecker, Parsons
- Contractor: Gilbane/Ryan
- Architecture Firms: GouldEvans + AECOM
Why do we need a new courthouse?
In order to accommodate the increase in criminal cases in Maricopa County, the Downtown Court Tower will help prevent trial delays, which cost the taxpayer money due to the caring for and transporting of inmates. Overcrowding and outdated facilities also present security issues for the public.
According to Maricopa County’s website, the number of criminal cases in Maricopa County has nearly doubled since 2000, and it’s projected that there will be more than 56,000 criminal cases by the year 2016. The current 52 criminal courtrooms will not be able to accommodate these projects, and are currently beyond capacity, causing trial delays.
This modern courthouse will also be an energy efficient facility, and it will come equipped with technologies that will improve efficiency, meet rapidly increasing backlog, as well as care for victims, defendants, lawyers and judges.
A Strategic Location
Locating the new court building in the downtown complex will…
- …be more efficient for the movement of prisoners from the Fourth Avenue Jail.
- …be safer for the public because
- the inmates will be transferred using tunnels under the streets, and
- jailed defendants can stay in one location during their trials in one of the many holding cells in the lower levels.
- …be close to the County Attorney and Public Defender offices, County Sheriff and Phoenix Police Departments.
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