County to Officially Break Ground on $100 Million Justice Annex

Nov 10, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

Contact: Jim Lavender, Lee County Public Works
              (239) 479-8301
  
COUNTY OFFICIALLY TO BREAK GROUND ON $100 MILLION JUSTICE ANNEX

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 10, 2005) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners will officially break ground Wednesday (Nov. 16) on a $100-million expansion to the Lee County Justice Center.

The expansion, known as the Justice Center Annex, will be anchored by the former SunTrust Building (which the county purchased in 2004) and a new 10-story building being built between the SunTrust Building and the existing Lee County Justice Center.

The ceremony will be at 1 p.m. on the third floor, room 300, of the SunTrust Building (due to heavy construction outside).  Lee County Commissioner Doug St. Cerny will serve as master of ceremonies and will be joined by representatives of the court system, State Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, and Clerk of Court.

The groundbreaking culminates years of planning that included:

  • Purchase of the nine-story, 121,000-square-foot SunTrust Building in February 2004 for $17 million.
  • Issuance of $55.5 million of bonds in June 2004 and setting aside $30 million in general fund reserves this year to pay for the 10-story addition and associated parking garage.
  • Vacated Heitman Street in 2004 so the new addition could be built between SunTrust and the Justice Center.

Plans currently are for a 1,200-space parking garage to replace the existing one across from SunTrust.  Facts about the new 10-story tower and renovations to existing space include:

Square Footage: New 10 story Tower        147,000
                          Shipping and Receiving         4,500
                          Cafeteria                              4,500
                          Parking Garage                 450,000
                          Remodel SunTrustBank     126,000
                          Remodel existing Justice Center  160,000

Total square footage of new and remodel:  892,000

Expected completion date:  Summer of 2008

Room for Future Growth:  The 10-story tower will have six floors built out in the initial phase with four floors to be completed in the future.

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