Two years after the groundbreaking, work on the $37 million project to rehome the offices of the Albemarle County commonwealth’s attorney and construct a new courthouse for both the county and the city of Charlottesville is nearing completion.
Next month’s opening of the new joint general district courthouse on Court Square in downtown Charlottesville will necessitate a weeklong closure of the two main Albemarle County courts from June 16 to 20.
"That’s a Monday through Friday as we move into our temporary quarters for the renovation of the historic courthouse and the administrative offices of the circuit court," Albemarle County Circuit Court Clerk Jon Zug told The Daily Progress. "As a result of that, we will be providing no service to the public, because we will effectively be closed to everything."
It’s not just Albemarle County’s circuit court that’s moving. A lower court, the general district court, will also be closed that week to make its leap to the new building, and both courts are slated to reopen there June 23.
"Office hours will remain the same," said Zug.
While these two county courts will move into the new building, the circuit court’s occupancy is temporary, to allow the Albemarle County Courthouse — part of which dates to 1803 when Thomas Jefferson practiced law there — to be renovated.
Zug will then move his court back to the renovated courthouse near the start of 2027 when Charlottesville’s general district court makes its move to the new building.
These timing estimates come from Blake Abplanalp, the county’s interim deputy director for facilities and environmental services.
"During the week of moving, courts and county facilities staff will receive training on new AV equipment, security systems, and building systems," Abplanalp told The Daily Progress in an email.
The new structure was designed by Charlottesville-based DGP Architects in partnership with Fentress Architects of Denver and built by Montgomery County, Maryland-based Grunley Construction. Its address will be 350 Park Street.
The Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, now housed on the ground floor of the courthouse annex, will fill an old but renovated structure next door. Originally constructed in 1851 as a town hall, the renovated building will carry the name it bore when it was the only theater in Charlottesville, the Levy Opera House.
Operations at the juvenile and domestic relations courts for both the city and county will remain housed in a separate structure on nearby High Street and are not expected to be affected by the moves.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com