Groundbreaking for an addition to the Hall County Courthouse occurred east of the courthouse on July 29, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – A groundbreaking ceremony occurred July 29 east of the Hall County Courthouse for an addition to the courthouse.
Hall County Commissioners have issued $40 million in bonds for the project. Chief Construction is the contractor, and Davis Design of Lincoln is the architect.
Hall County Board Chairman Ron Peterson served as the emcee for the event, which featured five other speakers.
According to a nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places completed in 1977, the courthouse construction began in 1901 and was completed in 1904 at a cost of $131,703. The construction cost included the jail.
Peterson said the addition is needed because of a lack of space and security issues.
He compared the project in working with six other commissioners to trying to build a house with six spouses. He said that no one got everything they wanted with the project.
Hall County District Judge Andrew Butler said, “This is truly a historic and exciting day for Hall County.”
“I want to thank the county board for seeing the need for this project,” Butler said. “Today is a milestone for this project.” Butler said he believes he has the best courtroom and office in the existing courthouse.
Butler said the courthouse has served the county well since 1904. He listed a number of advantages of the courthouse addition, such as having all county courtrooms under one roof, improved parking and better safety. There will be three district courtrooms.
“The courthouse will remain a symbol of Grand Island,” Butler said.
Hall County Court Judge Art Wetzel said that the county board looked at all options for the courthouse. He said it took strength and integrity to move ahead with the project.
“The board had no choice,” Wetzel said. “All options were looked at.”
The project will maintain the integrity of the courthouse. He wanted to thank the forefathers who built the courthouse. He said it has endured for 120 years.
Steve Severson of Davis Design in Lincoln is the architect for the project. He said the company began working on the project in 2022. He said that commissioners voted in January 2024 to proceed with building the addition.
He said that the courthouse addition will provide greater security, and the court clerk offices will be near the public entrance to the building. He thanked Chief Construction and subcontractors for their work. He thanked the residents of Hall County for the use of their hard-earned tax dollars.
Hall County Sheriff Rick Conrad said that the existing courthouse has out served its purpose. He said that security concerns exist because of the proximity of staff, defendants, and jurors in the courthouse.
“That’s a dangerous situation,” Conrad said.
He said he appreciated the county commissioners stepping up to make the project happen.
Conrad said that the addition is linked to the values of the future.
Kyle Huse of Chief Construction is the project manager.
He described the undertaking as a team project. He said that Chief Industries was proud to be working with Davis Design. He said that the courthouse addition will have lasting impact and provide more than 60,000 square feet of new space. He estimated that the project will take two and a half years to complete.
According to a 1977 nomination form for the courthouse for the National Register of Historic Places, the courthouse was designed by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball and is an example of Beaux-Arts Classicism design. The county’s first courthouse was built in 1872-1873 at another site.
