Portsmouth Judicial Center Opens Under Budget, Ahead of Schedule

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Portsmouth Judicial Center officially opened for business  Monday after two years of construction. Completed on time and under budget, the $78 million complex brings together three major courts—Circuit, General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations—under one roof.

Located at 415 Port Centre Parkway in Portsmouth, the 207,000-square-foot, three-story-tall facility was built to replace a 42-year-old courthouse and civic center complex on Crawford Street. That facility was plagued by leaks and asbestos. The new complex provides 12 courtrooms and jury rooms that are larger than those at its predecessor. Also on the premises are offices for the sheriff and Commonwealth Attorney.

Improved security elements include separate hallways for transporting inmates and dedicated entrances for judges. Other features include Terrazzo tile floors, glass walls and a lobby with a 30-foot-tall ceiling. The new complex also houses a century’s worth of public records.

Virginia Beach-based HBA, the facility’s architect, has previously designed high-profile projects like the new Churchland public library and the expansion of the Children’s Museum of Virginia. Officials are eyeing redevelopment options for the site of the old courthouse and civic center complex, which is slated for demolition.

Image courtesy of Google.