New Montgomery Co. Justice Center Reaches Major Milestone

NORRISTOWN, PA — One of the paramount redevelopment projects in Norristown and Montgomery County history has reached a major milestone.

The fledgling Montgomery County Justice Center will hold a special ceremony this week to commemorate the placement of the facility's final structural beam.

A new 325,000 square foot, six story building will be adjacent to the existing courthouse and will include, once completed, 18 courtrooms and numerous offices. The project will also modernize and preserve the historic courthouse structure.

The "Topping Out" ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 10. County officials, including Commissioners Ken Lawrence and Jamila Winder, will sign the beam.

The new building is just one part of the project, as the renovations will double the size of the existing Hancock Square Park, providing more green public space.

The project is slated to be completed in late 2024.

The historic courthouse, which was built in the mid-1800s and restored in 1904, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The project will also demolish the existing parking garages, the Wells Fargo Bank, and the 1967 addition to the courthouse to make way for the new structure. Peter Glasing, the lead architect for the project with the firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, said that the design paid careful attention both to the history of the existing courthouse and the role which the property would play in the future of downtown Norristown.

Hancock Square Park, meanwhile, will be more than doubled in size, growing from 23,000 square feet to 57,000. Current monumnets in the park will be "respectfully incorporated" into reflective spaces, while new native plantings will be added.