City Commissioners told staff to move forward with remodeling the Missouri Room in the Civic Center for Municipal Court during a July work session and during their Aug. 1 meeting, they’ll consider a design contract for the project.

Commissioners will be asked to approve a $321,950 contract for a design contract with Cushing Terrell, which already provided preliminary designs.

The contract will be funded by with American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to city staff.

City Commission OKs moving forward with Missouri Room renovation for courtrooms

Cushing Terrell provided preliminary designs for the Missouri Room that commissioners reviewed in April.

They provided updated designs during a July work session.

“Through months of consultation with interested parties, the project team and the City Commission decided that the best option for the city court needs was to move the court to the second floor of the Civic Center, where the Missouri Room is currently,” according to the staff report.

City continuing discussion of turning Missouri Room into court space

Commissioners identified the court remodel or relocation project as a top tier project for American Rescue Plan Act funds during an April 2022 meeting.

The city set aside $3.5 million for the project.

Historic preservation board opposes use of Missouri Room for court space

The Municipal Court is currently located in the Civic Center basement where it’s running out of space for existing staff, doesn’t have much room to add a second court for the new judge and has frequent water issues, according to court staff.

Members of the joint city-county Historic Preservation Advisory Commission opposed the use of the Missouri Room and asked commissioners to consider other options.

City considering remodeling Missouri Room for court space

City officials have looked at multiple options to relocate the court over the last decade, “but a viable opportunity to do so never materialized, due to space or budget constraints,” according to the staff report.

The design contract includes the necessary architectural, mechanical and electrical construction documents to enable construction bidding, as well as allowances for asbestos testing, consulting with a sound engineer, construction administration and some preliminary design options for the basement layout once the court moves upstairs.