New Municipal Court Facility Opens in Flagstaff

By CN Staff

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— The new City of Flagstaff Municipal Court Facility is now complete and open for business.

Located in downtown Flagstaff, the three-story facility spans 40,000 square feet and ties into the historic architecture of downtown creating a new center of civic life for the Municipal Court and the City.

The new building replaces a pair of obsolete, functionally inadequate buildings and capitalizes on an underutilized City-owned parcel for efficient and creative infill. The new facility also houses the City Prosecutor’s Office.

Kinney Construction Services, Inc. (KCS) is the Design-Build Contractor on the project; CGL Companies is the design partner.

Sustainability was an important factor for the City of Flagstaff during design. This new facility is the first Green Globes building in northern Arizona (anticipating Three Green Globes), with the focus being on materials that are durable and low maintenance, and systems that are energy efficient.

The project was procured using a design-build contract delivery method—where the contractor and architect perform under a shared contract. This method benefits the project in many ways. The KCS-CGL team harnessed these benefits by fostering a collaborative atmosphere and establishing shared goals from the earliest stages of the project.

“Their team has great schedule and budget management skills, they value open communication, and they display transparency on every level,” said City of Flagstaff Project Manager Christine Cameron. “Their approach is true teamwork and always doing what’s right for the project.”

CGL Senior Vice President Enrique Maciá, lead designer and architect on the project said, “The Flagstaff Municipal Courts project presented a unique opportunity to create a new state of the art facility that seamlessly blends into the historical context of downtown Flagstaff. Our design team—working closely with the owner and the users—met the complex challenge of providing five courtrooms and hearing rooms, holding areas and prisoner sallyport, space for Court Administration and Prosecutor, a jury assembly room, judge’s chambers and support space, as well as secure parking on a fairly small urban site on the northern edge of downtown. The new building’s gracious two-story entry lobby and public spaces are flooded with abundant natural light and views and are designed to create a positive and welcoming user experience for the citizens of Flagstaff.”

The new Municipal Court Facility was partially funded through a taxpayer- approved bond, and KCS honored their fiduciary responsibility to the community through the most efficient use of every single dollar. The resulting facility—which came in on budget without sacrificing quality or value—is a testament to the seriousness with which KCS took this responsibility.

On the challenges of the project budget, City of Flagstaff Project Manager Christine Cameron said, “Our project had a tight budget that needed to be respectful of maximizing value for taxpayer funding. KCS really exceeded our expectations.”

City of Flagstaff Court Administrator Jessica Cortes concurred, “The new City of Flagstaff Municipal Court Facility was designed and constructed to provide for the needs of today and the future. The project team, led by KCS, understood the needs of the courthouse and delivered a beautiful and functional space for court operations,”

Added KCS CEO Tim Kinney of the significance of this project to the City, “KCS is honored for the opportunity to be involved with such an impactful project for our community. The new Municipal Court Facility will be a great asset for generations to come.”