I received the following newsletter from Broward Country Commissioner and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl's office this morning. Keechl summarizes the Broward County Courthouse Task Force's unsurprising findings that the current country courthouse needs to be replaced. He emphasizes that while the needs are great, he will not vote for any recommendations that require an increase in property taxes.
I'm not too thrilled that the country appears to be prepared to badger the voters, once again, for money to replace the building. I think we made our voices heard lound and clear when the bond issues was voted down last year. I'll schedule some time to meet with Keechl and/or his staff to get a more first-hand feel for the issues involved, but 328 million for a new county building just doesn't sit well with me. Here is what Keechl has to say:
In previous articles, I have discussed the continuing problems plaguing our Broward County courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale. As a result of bursting pipes, increasing mold, broken elevators, security issues, and a chronic shortage of courtrooms and parking, judges, jurors, litigants, and employees are suffering. In fact, the County has recently been sued by several court employees alleging that the courthouse is dangerous and unfit for occupancy.
Recognizing that the current situation is unacceptable, last December the Broward County Commission established a Broward County Courthouse Task Force (“Task Force”) to make recommendations to the County Commission “regarding alternatives for financing, development, construction, improvement and other matters” relating to the downtown courthouse. The Task Force recently submitted its Report to the County Commission. I would like to devote this month’s article to summarizing its findings regarding the need to build a new Courthouse. And I would like to devote next month’s article to discussing financing issues.
Not surprisingly, the Task Force concluded that the current courthouse is in critical condition. All building systems have exceeded their useful lives and in the event of a Hurricane Category 2 or above, the structure will sustain significant damages, if not total destruction. Moreover, the current layout of the building is not conducive to a modern courthouse; there is not enough space for all judicial and court-related activities; and there is no room for expansion.
In contrast to building an entirely new structure, the Task Force considered a renovation of the current courthouse. The Task Force concluded that renovation would not be cost effective. If the County Commission decided to renovate the downtown courthouse instead of building a new structure, the Task Force and its experts believe that the courthouse would need to be totally gutted and the structure would have to be hurricane hardened. Moreover, renovation would inevitably require that the entire building be brought up to the current building code. Lastly, the County would incur additional costs to lease space for employees displaced during the renovations. Obviously, these costs would not be incurred with new construction.
The Task Force also evaluated the possibility of acquiring and remodeling an existing office building, such as the 110 Tower. The Task Force and its experts concluded that it would be difficult to achieve courtroom height requirements in a standard office building and it would also be very difficult to achieve adequate separation of the public, inmates, and judges.
The Task Force also looked at the feasibility of moving functions off-site and how to maximize the use of our satellite courthouses. The possibility of moving the downtown courthouse to another location in Broward County was also considered. In the end, the Task Force recommended keeping the main courthouse downtown due to the proximity to the Main Jail; the County’s investment in the salvageable East and North Wings of the current downtown courthouse; and the need to continue to provide all judicial services in one location. Moreover, due to land and parking limitations, the West and South satellite courthouses could not be expanded.
In the end, the Task Force recommended that a new scaled-down courthouse should be constructed on the site of the current judicial garage. By building on County-owned land, the overall cost of the project would be lessened. In the past, the County Commission had suggested building a new courthouse at a cost of approximately $510 million; the Task Force’s new scaled down courthouse would cost approximately $328 million. Similarly, previous County Commissions envisioned a new courthouse comprising nearly 900,000 square feet; the Task Force’s new scaled down courthouse would comprise approximately 675,000 square feet. The Task Force also recommended additional parking to meet existing and future courthouse needs.
Lastly, and importantly, the Task Force also recognized that the funding for any new courthouse should avoid an increase in the property tax burden on Broward’s residents.
I have previously acknowledged the need for a new or renovated courthouse. However, I have made it clear that I will not vote to increase the property tax burden on you in the process. Next month’s article will look at the feasibility of building a new courthouse without increasing your property taxes. As always, the devil is in the details.
Until then, my best to you and your families.
Broward County Commissioner and Vice Mayor Ken Keechl
954 357 7004
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