Construction Starts on Trenton Courthouse

TRENTON, N.J. — Local, county and state officials broke ground on a new $52 million courthouse following the settlement of a long-running dispute between competing bidders on the project.

In addition to criminal courts, the new 141,000-square-foot building — the largest public project ever undertaken in Mercer County — will house a drug court, the sheriff’s office, probation, case management services, and administrative and records space.

The new criminal justice building will be located adjacent to the existing 1900’s criminal courthouse once the aging detention facility and parking garage that currently occupy the downtown site are demolished. The site preparation and demolition work will increase the total cost of the project, which will be designed to meet LEED standards, to an estimated $80 million, according to reports.

The existing historic court building, which has undergone several piecemeal renovations and repairs, will continue to operate during construction and will not be demolished following completion of the new building, officials say.

Construction work is scheduled for completion by June 2012, according to reports.