Snohomish County 11/16/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Exhibit A—Courthouse Modernization Project Narrative PROJECT NARRATIVE Project will involve the construction of a new approximately 30,000 square foot entry tower(five stories plus partial basement)attached to the north side of the existing 1967 Snohomish County Courthouse,and renovation of approximately 54,000 square feet within the existing courthouse. A. New Addition:The footprint of the new addition will comprise approximately 5,900 square feet and be placed over the existing entry plaza located between the north entrance of the courthouse and Wall Street as shown in the site plan. It will connect to, and provide seismic reinforcement for,the existing Courthouse via public circulation corridors as more fully depicted in the schematic floor plans(attached as Exhibits 3a through 3f), with a code-mandated fire-door and 3-hour firewall separation maintained at the connection on all levels. The new entry tower will be utilized to provide expanded security screening,public circulation and access corridors serving the existing courthouse structure including a new stairwell access and two new elevators for general public access.The existing public elevators internal to the existing courthouse will be replaced with a single secured elevator for staff access. The current inmate-circulation elevator internal to the existing courthouse will remain in service but court facilities on the east end of the courthouse will be reconfigured to allow for secure inmate transfer between the elevator corridor and adjacent courtrooms. In addition,various services and facilities within the existing courthouse structure are proposed to be relocated or consolidated within the new entry tower as follows: • Level 1—Lobby with expanded security screening area (replaces existing security screening currently conducted in first floor hallway); • Level 2—Jury Assembly room(relocated from first floor of existing courthouse;criminal hearings courtroom currently located on third floor will be relocated to vacated space on first floor); • Level 3—District court administration will be consolidated into Level 3 of the new entry tower (district court hearings room will be relocated to space vacated by the district court administration and district court courtrooms relocated to space vacated by criminal hearings courtroom so that all district court services and courtrooms are located on the same floor); • Level 4—Consolidation of existing Sheriff's Office Administration and New Superior Court Trial Courtroom and related staff offices for existing judicial seat currently designated as"roving" (Snohomish County Superior Court consists of fifteen elected superior court judges,two of whom rotate to the Denny Juvenile Justice Center, leaving thirteen judicial seats based at the existing courthouse which currently contains only twelve courtrooms comprising Departments 1 through 12.The thirteenth judicial department is designated as"roving"and assigned to courtrooms as they become available due to other judges being on vacation, trials in extended recess, or other gaps in calendars. Creation of a designated courtroom for the thirteenth department will facilitate calendaring and facilities planning for this existing judicial seat which is currently based at the courthouse). • Level 5—Judges'conference room and related Superior Court administrative spaces(a portion of this space is currently undesignated and will be used as"swing"space to relocate offices and services within the existing Courthouse as renovation occurs). B. Renovation: Due to the 1967-era of the existing Courthouse the project will also involve substantial seismic retrofitting and renovation of the existing Courthouse.Seismic bracing of the existing Courthouse Page 7 of 12