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July 9, 2021: Community celebrates Cabarrus Courthouse milestone
August 4, 2020: A virtual look at history in the making
August 29, 2019: Cabarrus Courthouse expansion project moving forward
July 9, 2021: Community celebrates Cabarrus Courthouse milestone
Under sunny downtown Concord skies, community members gathered this week for the two-day Cabarrus County Courthouse “topping off” celebration.
The event commemorated a major milestone in the project, as the building’s structure is now in place and crews are moving into the next phase of construction for the 250,000-square-foot expansion/renovation. The event was also the first official public presentation of the building.
July 6 marked day one of the celebration, as Courthouse workers, elected officials, local businesses and organizations, and other community members dropped by to scrawl signatures and messages on a white construction beam displayed in front of the Government Center.
On July 7, the closing ceremony drew another large crowd, which cheered as contractors hoisted the signed beam into place along the top of the structure.
Speakers for the ceremony included Superior Court Judge Marty McGee, Messer Project Executive Jason Harris and Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners Chair Steve Morris, who each shared words of excitement and gratitude for the progression of the project.
“This building … is a manifestation of our community’s commitment to the cause of justice,” Judge McGee said. “It is being built the Cabarrus way—with listening, leadership, collaboration and a dedication to doing things the right way.”
Harris noted the long list of organizations who made the progress possible, and specifically thanked construction workers who lined up along the second floor to watch the ceremony.
“These crews have worked tirelessly, six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day … and we owe them a great debt of gratitude,” Harris said.
Morris discussed the project’s impact.
“Today we celebrate taking one more step towards the fulfillment of a vision that began years ago,” Morris told the crowd. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and we look forward to the impact this transformation will have on us all.”
View the full ceremony below or watch through Sunday, July 18 on Cabarrus County Television-Spectrum Channel 22.
You can also watch on-demand on the County’s YouTube channel by visiting youtube.com/cabarruscounty.
August 4, 2020: A virtual look at history in the making
Cabarrus County is in the early stages of constructing the fifth courthouse in its 228-year history. Officials will celebrate the occasion with a virtual groundbreaking ceremony – the County’s first such event – that will make history of its own while featuring a live painting presentation by ClearWater Arts Center and Studios oil painter, Kevin Harris.
The public can participate via a live broadcast, Thursday, August 6 at 4:30 p.m. on the County’s Facebook page and YouTube channel @CabarrusCounty. Following social distancing and mass gathering protocols, a limited number of officials working on the project will participate in-person.
As Harris puts the finishing touches on his courthouse rendering, County leaders and courthouse partners will share remarks on the project. Onsite and virtual participants can take part in interactive fact stations with QR codes that lead to Courthouse stories, as told by Judge Clarence Horton, a local historian and the host of Cabarrus County Television’s award-winning documentary “Historical Moments.”
Harris’ art will become a permanent installation at the new courthouse.
While the experience differs from past ceremonies, Cabarrus County Outreach Coordinator Dominique Clark hopes the virtual opportunity will generate interest in the public features of the courthouse.
“It’s a challenge to create an experience that appropriately celebrates this historic event amid a pandemic,” said Clark. “We want to come together. Creating a virtual component gives our entire community access to the experience from a safe location of their choosing.”
Commissioners approved the five-year, 250,000-square-foot renovation and expansion in 2019. The project is expected to continue through early 2023.
“The design of the building and the addition of a public plaza will transform the look and feel of downtown Concord,” said Steve Morris, Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners chair. “The courthouse will become a symbol of growth and resilience during a trying time in history. Because we’re going virtual, every member of our community has the opportunity to be part of the celebration.”
Construction on the Courthouse project began earlier this year with crews working mainly nights inside the existing Courthouse. The ceremony marks the start of the first large-scale publicly visible work.
Construction impacts
Local businesses remain open during the expansion/renovation project. Current impacts on traffic include the closing of a stretch of Union Street near the intersection of Means Avenue in downtown Concord through August 28 and intermittent lane closures around the construction site for the duration of the project.
For more information on the shops, restaurants and businesses of downtown Concord, visit www.concorddowntown.com.
August 29, 2019: Cabarrus Courthouse expansion project moving forward
Messer Construction, which recently completed work on the County’s five-story parking deck in downtown Concord, will collaborate with Silling Architects during the design phase of the Cabarrus Courthouse expansion project.
Messer is working with Silling – hired by Cabarrus County commissioners in February - to provide opinions on constructability during the design, which will help drive down construction contingencies, and in turn costs, according to Cabarrus County Area Manager Kyle Bilafer. Messer’s role at this stage is referred to as construction manager at-risk.
The design phase is underway, but actual construction on the 250,000-square-foot expansion is slated to begin in 2020. Following the expansion, the existing courthouse will undergo renovation. Officials expect the entire project will last between 24 and 28 months.
The expansion/renovation will update the aging 45-year-old building and help with an ongoing increase in local court use.
According to the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), use of the Cabarrus County Courthouse increased 131 percent over the last three decades. Court filings in 1986/87 totaled 27,506. By 2016/17, that number rose to 63,567.
The expansion/renovation project includes a proposal to relocate the courthouse entrance to Means Avenue, creating enhanced access from Church and Union streets.
City of Concord to weigh abandonment of Means Avenue
The plan also calls for the new building footprint to extend into Means Avenue, a one-way street that connects Union and Church streets in downtown Concord.
County officials developed a petition to the City of Concord to abandon Means, and replace a portion of it with a public plaza, Bilafer said. Concord City Council will hold a public hearing on the petition during the Thursday (April 11) meeting. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 35 Cabarrus Ave. W, Concord.
County officials will continue providing updates through meetings and online communication channels. Visit the website at www.cabarruscounty.us and follow Cabarrus County at facebook.com/cabarruscounty and on Twitter @CabarrusCounty. Look for #CabarrusCourthouse.