Howard County has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) to seek private developers for the renovation of a courthouse.

Howard County is pursuing a public-private partnership (P3) to deliver a modern courthouse to accommodate the needs of an expanding and diverse population. The new Circuit Courthouse will be 230,000 gross square feet, LEED Silver certified, and equipped with additional courtrooms and space for jury and staff. The building will be accompanied by a structured parking facility with 600 spaces and the ability to expand to 1,100 spaces.

The proposed hybrid P3 would blend public and private financing. The winning consortium would be responsible for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the new Courthouse for 30 years. 

The project with an estimated investment of US$138.7 million, aims to solve the lack of space in the current facilities which have reached a breaking point. The project also seeks to improve security in the courthouse separating prisoners, victims, judges and jurors. 

Authorities have been mulling over this project for more than a decade. The last renovation of the courthouse was 30 years ago and in that time. Previous attempts of carry out the revamp of the aging courthouse have always failed. This was, in part, because of the large budget needed to develop the project.