- US Courthouse Renovation & Addition
Owner: General Services Administration
Address: 401 W. Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30308
Telephone: 919/856-4680
Architect: Trivers & Associates
GSA Project Manager: John Bradley
Original Contract: $8,058,844.00
Revised Contract: $9,439,064.00 (owner initiated change orders)
The New Bern Federal Building/Courthouse was a 46,000 square foot historic building completed in 1933 under WPA (Work Progress Administration). Carmon Construction, Inc.’s project was to historically renovate the existing four floors and to add a two story addition of 4,600 square feet.
The new addition was to add vehicular sally port, cell area, prisoner-attorney interview area, mail room opening area equipped with shower and clean room escape. The new addition also included a two story tower with a prisoner elevator to the court room on second floor with a short term holding cell between the elevator and existing second floor court room. The new tower also included a judge’s private garage with elevator to judge’s work room on second floor, and a new entrance to judge’s suite.
First floor renovation was to remove an old post office area back to bare structure and exterior walls. Then build a new administrative area for the U. S. Marshal’s service in one-fourth of the existing first floor adjacent to the new addition. Another one-fourth of the first floor became a new hearing room/bankruptcy court room. The court room was trimmed with beautiful wainscot, six-panel doors and moldings to fit with the 1933 design and décor of the building. The front half of the first floor consisted of stripping old paint and re-painting, refinishing of bronze grilles, updating hand rails to meet ADA requirements and adding marble wainscot where old post office boxes had been removed and adding marble floor in new elevator lobby and elevator floor. A new entrance was built with ballistic screens with magnetometer area and video monitors. A small area and one stairs was renovated to provide office area for one law clerk and to add an all glass entrance in order to restore the look and beauty of the twin spiral stairs at each end of the main lobby.
A new elevator was added to service basement through third floor. The elevator interior was very decorative and was made of bronze. The lobby doors were bronze with etching designs.
On second floor, the historic district court room was renovated to add more space in the jury and attorney areas. Ballistic film was added to court room windows. Ornate wood carved items were renovated replacing some damaged and crooked wood. A complete new audio and video system was added. Old cell area and marshal’s area was demolished and new bathroom and jury assembly area was built. Existing areas were painted, ceiling tile replaced along with new sprinkler system, electrical and mechanical systems. In a number of areas new-architectural items had to be added to cover the new systems in a historically pleasing manner.
Third floor received new bathroom, new elevator lobby along with similar new finished to the other floors.
In the basement, approximately one-half was renovated to build a marshal’s control and exercise area. Marshals are able to control all sally port and cell doors from this control console along with complete HVAC shut-down, monitor of the complete building, control prisoner elevator, operate fence gates and many other functions from this control station. The exercise area includes a work-out area with special floor, bathrooms and a conference room. The remainder of basement was renovated to house small storage and mechanical and electrical systems.
Exterior received a new K4 rated security fence, new landscaping, two new historically designed flag poles, parking lot lighting, new paint, renovated stone and brick work and re-surfaced parking lot with new curbs.
