Waukesha County Courthouse remodeling project kickoff; 'pardon our dust'
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Navigating the Waukesha County Courthouse just got harder. County leaders had to put dot on the floor to help you find where you need to go – all because of a major construction project.
"We’re asking people to bear with us, pardon our dust," said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow.
County leaders marked "Phase 2" of overall renovations Tuesday morning, Sept. 12 – by punching holes into a wall with sledgehammers.
The $115 million project will increase security, add a larger lobby, and address long-term mechanical issues.
"Inside (the building) things are starting to creak," Farrow said.
Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow
Ironically, it also makes getting to six new criminal and traffic courtrooms a challenge. You have to walk through the courthouse cafeteria and through an outdoor courtyard in order to reach the $38 million expansion that opened only two years ago.
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"With the weather outside, just be prepared you’ll have a 100-foot walk outside. We will work on covering it," Farrow said.
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Farrow said the projects had to be rolled out this way otherwise there would not have been enough courtrooms for trials, hearings or civil matters.
"There are children that are at issue; there's money, freedom and liberty," said Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow.
Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow
The renovations will also bring juvenile court, which is in a separate building right now, to the third floor of the main courthouse. The county said that will be safer for all children involved – in a building that fully separates inmates, staff and the public.
Waukesha County has been growing. Officials said when the courthouse was built in 1959, the population of Waukesha County was 158,000 – and there were just three circuit courts. Today, there are more than 400,000 county residents and twelve circuit courts.
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"With the boom and economic development and the overall success as a community, we now have justice and public safety needs that we didn't anticipate six decades ago," Farrow said.
"I'm very excited to bring the entire judicial complex and government center into a modern building that meets three-way separation, that keeps the public safe, the inmates safe, and the courts and the courts' staff safe," Dorow said.