New Courthouse for Downtown Winston-Salem
A new $106 million Forsyth County Courthouse being built on Chestnut Street will follow a 25-month construction schedule and will be completed in the Spring of 2023, project officials said. The new courthouse will replace the current building on North Main Street.
The current courthouse, which was not designed to accommodate all court uses, lacks ample space and efficiency.
“We are desperately in need of a new facility… the new courthouse will be a very beautiful addition to downtown,” Councilwoman Annette Scippio said.
The decision for what will happen to the current building has not been made yet but is ultimately up to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. Options include use by the local government for some other purpose, declaring the site a surplus and offering it for sale to the general public, or demolishing the building. Currently, there is no rush to make a decision on this matter, said Deputy County Manager Damon Sanders-Pratt.
The community can expect many changes with the courthouse, including the amount of sunlight in the new building. Both the east and west ends of the courthouse will have a glass curtain wall that allows light to funnel down the center of the building.
“Today it’s very dark, dim, and feels kind of dungeon-like in the existing building. The new one is going to be bright, open, and have a real feeling of bringing transparency to the courts,” said James Anderson, the Design and Construction Manager for Forsyth County.
The new courthouse will be adjacent to the government center and the buildings will eventually be connected by two bridges. The jail is across the street from both buildings, to be connected to the courthouse by a tunnel which will be used to securely transport inmates to hearings. The close proximity of these buildings will be more efficient and add to a more “campus feel” of the buildings, said Sanders-Pratt.
In the current building, there is no covered space for those waiting for admitted entry into the courthouse. There will be a larger lobby in the new building, which will provide a sheltered space while waiting to go through the screening process. Once screened, there will be escalators and elevators to take individuals up to the primary court floor, said Anderson.
Other notable improvements include the space allocated for those waiting to be called for jury duty which is currently cramped and has poor air circulation. The new space will have more seating with comfortable chairs, tables, and quiet areas. There will also be a private room for nursing parents or anyone who may need to attend to medical matters.
The courthouse is the first joint venture for contractor teams Samet Corporation and Balfour Beatty. In total, $83 million of the project budget is allocated toward construction costs.
Twenty-five percent of courthouse sub-contractors are Minority and Women Business Enterprises (MWBE) and 90% of are local participation. There was a strong push by county commissioners to diversify the project with MWBEs and to keep local dollars in the project, which Samet Corporation and Balfour Beatty were able to do, said the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Samet Corporation Johnny Sigers.
“The opportunity for Samet Corporation and Balfour Beatty to partner together and bring such an innovative and beautiful structure to citizens in Forsyth County… is a great opportunity to really improve the space for the people that live and work in this community,” said Samet Corporations VP of Marketing and Client Services, Suzanne Turner.
