County presents schematic designs for courthouse renovation; target completion in 2027

San Patricio County officials presented schematic designs and a preliminary schedule for the courthouse renovation phase that will follow completion of the Justice Center.

County staff and the architectural team reviewed proposed floor plans showing new public-access zones, secured employee-only areas and a modest building addition on the courthouse’s south side. The basement was described as housing IT and maintenance; the first floor was shown configured to include the tax office on the west and county engineering and grants on the east. The second floor will include the county judge’s office, government affairs and the commissioners’ courtroom; the third floor is planned mainly for the auditor’s office.

County staff said the architect (BRW) added two members to the team for this phase to address programming and structural constraints created by existing load-bearing columns. Key schedule milestones presented to the court were: construction manager at-risk pricing around July (year unspecified in the slide), 100% construction documents scheduled for March 2026 and an estimated construction start of May 2026. County leadership said the renovation’s target completion is May 2027 to coincide with the courthouse’s 100th anniversary.

The county emphasized that the renovation timeline is linked to the Justice Center schedule, saying the courthouse work is expected to begin after the Justice Center is finished and county operations are relocated. Staff said department-head meetings to finalize office layouts were planned for May.

Commissioners were shown renderings and told no final color selections had been made; staff invited department-by-department review before final construction documents are issued.