The City of Staunton is accepting bids for construction for the new Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court facility that is to be located in Staunton’s West End in the former Chestnut Hills Shopping Center at 2040 West Beverley St.
The plans for the courthouse call for a two-story brick building totaling 34,330 square feet with two courtrooms, security program areas for the city sheriff’s office, court clerk’s office, court service unit, satellite office space for the Commonwealth’s Attorney office, Office of the Public Defender, and mediator/victim advocate services.
The new courthouse will give a new home to the Staunton Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, which currently shares a facility with the Augusta County J&DR District Court located at 6 E. Johnson St. in Staunton.
That court building, owned by Augusta County, was declared to be out of compliance with the state code, and county voters in 2022 approved a referendum to relocate the county’s circuit and district courts to a new facility to be constructed in Verona.
That put Staunton on the hook to do something on its own for its Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court.
Over the last few months, construction plans were finalized and approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia to meet the specifications of the Virginia Courthouse Facility Guidelines. All areas were designed to meet the specific needs of the city sheriff, the judges, and the clerk and their staffs.
The site is being prepped for demolition, and the site plan has been approved.
The former Heck’s Department Store at 2030A and 2030B W. Beverley St. will be demolished, and sections of the adjacent existing building at 2040 W. Beverley St. will be preserved and saved for reuse by the city. The new J&DR District Court building will be set toward the back of the lot, and the front of the building will face West Beverley Street.
This placement and the design are being done with future expansion in mind for other court services.
Bids for the new J&DR Court are due on March 29. Construction on the new J&DR District Court is set to begin this spring and must be completed and ready for use by November 2025.
Staunton City Council will hold a public hearing at its March 14 business meeting on the proposed issuance of general obligation bonds for an amount not to exceed $35.5 million. The purpose of the bonds is to finance the capital improvements for the new J&DR District Court.
This number is a maximum amount the City of Staunton may borrow through the issuance of bonds, but it is not the expected cost of the J&DR District Court facility, according to city officials.
City staff will also provide a brief update on the J&DR District Court facility progress at the Staunton City Council meeting on March 14.
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Chris Graham
