Construction Of New Courthouse In Columbia Prompts Outreach

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A community outreach meeting to discuss the new Howard County Circuit Courthouse has been planned for Thursday, Feb. 21. The meeting at Howard High School is designed for the community to hear from both developers and county government officials about the more than $130 million construction project.

The new 238,000-square-foot courthouse will be built on the site of the Thomas B. Dorsey Building at 9250 Bendix Road in Columbia. An adjacent 682-space parking garage will also be erected.

The current courthouse in Ellicott City is 175 years old, and renovation would not be cost-effective, according to a statement from Howard County. It has become overcrowded, lacks adequate security and its design puts opposing parties in common areas with one another.

"A new, larger Circuit Courthouse will provide a secure facility with technology improvements to meet current and future judicial requirements," according to the county.

Demolition will begin in June at the Dorsey Building, where site work is expected to start in August.

As part of the project, two intersections are slated for improvement: Bendix and Edgar Roads and Bendix Road and Judicial Way.

By summer 2021, the courthouse is expected to open.

Howard County awarded the contract for design, construction, partial financing, facility operation and maintenance to New York-based company Edgemoor-Star America Judicial Partners in October 2018 following a competitive procurement process, according to a statement from the county. Edgemoor-Star will manage the courthouse as well as the adjacent parking structure.

At the Feb. 21 meeting, there will be stations where people can discuss different facets of the project with staff from Edgemoor-Star America Judicial Partners and Howard County, which will gather comments from the public.

“As we work to improve access to justice for all and provide enhanced safety and security, we want to ensure that we reach out, include our community, and move forward with complete transparency and openness,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement.

He said the new courthouse is the largest capital project in the history of Howard County and will be funded through a public-private partnership.

Construction costs are estimated to be more than $138 million, of which Howard County will be responsible for $75 million.

See renderings and animations of the Howard County Circuit Courthouse.

Meeting Information

Howard County’s Department of Public Works will hold a community outreach meeting on from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21 . The meeting will be at the cafeteria at Howard High School, 8700 Old Annapolis Road, Ellicott City.

An interpreter will be available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing if requested at least seven days before the meeting. Call the Department of Public Works at 410-313-3440 (voice) or use Relay at 7-1-1, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To see the plans and/or inquire about the project, contact Assistant to Public Works Director Thomas Meunier at 410-313-6160 or tmeunier@howardcountymd.gov.

Courthouse rendering via Howard County Government/YouTube.