Work on new courthouse may start soon
Construction of Lake County's newest courthouse could begin this fall, officials said Friday.
Plans call for a branch court facility to be built in Park City on the 300 block of South Greenleaf Street, between Washington Street and Route 120.
It will replace the Waukegan branch court, which is in Fountain Square shopping center on what used to be the Lakehurst Mall property.
The county board's law and judicial committee meets Tuesday to discuss hiring Camosy Inc., a Waukegan firm, to build the facility. Nine companies bid for the job, and Camosy's $3.7 million offer was the least expensive, officials said.
If the committee signs off on the contract, the full county board could approve the deal at its next meeting, set for Oct. 9.
County officials made plans to leave the Waukegan branch courthouse last year because the lease was ending, officials said at the time. The landlords promised to extend the lease until a new courthouse is ready.
The board agreed to buy the roughly 8-acre Park City site in 2006 for about $1.5 million. The Greenleaf Grill once operated on the property but has since been torn down.
The new courthouse will be about 12,000 square feet, and have at least two courtrooms and parking for 275 cars, officials have said.
Construction will have to wait until crews are done reshaping the topography of the site, County Administrator Barry Burton said. That work is designed to create a better footprint for the building and improve flood-control efforts there.
The county has built two other branch courts in recent years.
One is on the southwest corner of Route 60/83 and Diamond Lake Road in Mundelein. It opened in 2004.
The other is on Nicole Lane north of Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach. It opened in 2005.
Each has one courtroom. Both handle traffic cases and other relatively minor violations, as does the two-courtroom Waukegan facility.
The county's main courthouse is in the government center at 18 N. County St. in downtown Waukegan.
Tuesday's committee discussion is set for 11 a.m. at the government center.