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The BE&K Building Group, together with joint venture
partners Turner Construction and Walter B. Davis Company,
Inc., was responsible for constructing the new nine-story
Mecklenburg County Courthouse. The 568,000 sf facility
is the largest county courthouse in the state. The structure
includes 35 finished courtrooms, as well as 12 additional
courtrooms which are ready to be furnished and staffed
when the need arises.
The triangular-shaped building features recessed windows,
and has inspirational quotes etched into the granite and
limestone exterior. The low entrance opens into a grand
atrium allowing sunlight to stream through the large windows.
Interior stone and marble imported from Italy, Portugal
and Zimbabwe add to the architectural appeal.
A garden located off the atrium is visible to the public,
while judges enjoy the roof gardens on the fourth and
eighth floors. Nine levels are connected by six oversized
elevators and a circular staircase.
Erecting a facility this size in the heart of Charlotte
presented various challenges for our construction team.
Prior to demolition of the existing courthouse parking
deck in 2003, provisions were made to reroute vehicle,
pedestrian and civil courthouse employee traffic. In addition,
the project required finding alternate parking locations
for vehicles that had been using this parking location.
Following demolition, work began on the new underground
tunnel, which links the existing jail with the new courthouse.
This tunnel allows for secure transportation of inmates
between these two buildings. During construction, our
team had to overcome the major obstacle of trenching through
one of the busiest streets in Charlotte — they had
only the three-day Memorial Day Weekend to accomplish
this task. Beginning late Friday afternoon, they coordinated
blasting operations, excavation around utility work, precise
installation of the precast concrete sections, backfilling,
and paving of the road, which needed to be open by Tuesday
morning for workday traffic. Due to the diverse depths
of the foundation of the building and proximity of the
new courthouse to nearby streets and existing buildings,
excavation required the use of a variety of earth-shoring
systems. Our construction team saved Mecklenburg County
money by taking advantage of a driven-pile and soil nailing
system.
This effort required working closely with both the Charlotte
and North Carolina Departments of Transportation to comply
with their regulations and requirements. Blasting and
removal of approximately 15,000 cubic yards of rock began
after the shoring systems were complete.
Work on the foundation wall and structural slabs included
building a footprint and foundation for the structure
of the building as well as construction of a below-grade
parking garage with a separate ramp for use by judges
and other courthouse employees.
Mecklenburg County residents now enjoy more amenities
when they are called for jury duty. The room for potential
jurors features plasma TVs, video games, kitchen appliances
and a business center with computers, printers and a fax
machine. For juror entertainment, movies are shown at
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. The new courthouse includes
a free child-care facility for juror parents who need
this resource.
A kinetic sculpture by Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter
of Boston is a focal point in the atrium. In addition,
some 3,200 tiny portrait heads — created from scans
of local citizens’ faces representing the gender,
race and age groups of the local community — hang
on cables from a platform raised to the ceiling. Guided
by a computer, these images form 12 different portraits
that change weekly. A commemorative display of photographs
showcases Mecklenburg County’s former courthouses.
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Mecklenburg County Courthouse
Parking Facility
Charlotte, North Carolina
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| Project
Location |
Charlotte,
North Carolina |
| Construction
Value |
Courthouse
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$121 million
Parking Facility —
$20 million |
| Building
Size |
Courthouse
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568,000 sf
Parking Facility —
500,000 sf
1,164 parking spaces
10,000 sf retail space |
| Completion |
2007 |
| Assignment |
Construction
Management at Risk |
| Client |
Mecklenburg
County Facility Development |
| Architect |
Schenkel
Shultz Architecture
HDR
Kallmann McKinnell
& Wood Architects |
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