Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

County News

Two finalists chosen for new justice center’s construction and design

The process for a new justice center continues to move forward, with the Cape Girardeau County commissioners choosing the top two design-build teams for the project.

The first team consists of River City Construction, which has three locations including one in Benton, IL, and the architectural firm HOK in St. Louis. The second team includes Penzel Construction Inc. of Jackson and the architectural firm Treanor HL, which has a location in Kansas City.

The county received five bids for the design-build position, including Kiefner Bros. Inc. in Cape Girardeau with Chiodini Architects, Wright Construction Services in St. Peters with HMN Architects Inc. and Robinson Construction Company in Perryville.

The two top teams will put together a partial design of the center and projected costs. They will present their plans to the commissioners, who will then decide what plan will be used.

After the commission chooses which team will be the design-builders and finalizes the plans for the justice center, construction could begin as early as this fall.

The new justice center will sit between the current courthouse and the county jail. The current courthouse buildings were constructed in 1854 and 1908 and no longer provide sufficient space for the court system.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said earlier this year that they are taking their time to get this right, as the new courthouse needs to fit the county’s needs for the next 150 years.

In other action:

• The county commissioners approved an ordinace establishing a surcharge in the amount of $4 for each criminal case to provide operating expenses for domestic violence shelters.

The county previously had a surcharge of $2 that went to the Safe House for Women, but state law now allows counties to charge up to $4 for this use.

Jessica Hill, the executive director of the Safe House for Women, said the surcharge has generated about $16,000 a year.

Hill added that doubling the surcharge will help the organization with their increased operating costs. The Safe House has started construction on a larger shelter, which is scheduled to open next spring.

Jay Forness covers education, county government and community events for The Cash-Book Journal. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in multimedia journalism and has lived in Jackson for the past five years. He can be reached at cbjedit@socket.net.

You May Also Like

City News

A 26-year-old Mississippi man was disarmed, arrested and charged with murder following an early morning shooting spree on Wednesday, Dec. 22, at the Town...

City News

A 58-year-old Jackson man drowned after going into Jackson City Park’s Rotary Lake during the July 4th firework show Sunday night. The man’s body...

City News

Americans frustrated by the policies of the current administration in Washington have let their feelings be known in large sporting venues across the country...

Education

Former Jackson High School athletes will soon be honored in a new hall of fame program approved by the Jackson R-2 School Board during...