New 238,000-square-foot Howard courthouse unveiled in Ellicott City

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, along with other local and state officials, has unveiled a new circuit courthouse in Ellicott City.

The 238,000-square-foot building was completed as scheduled, despite the coronavirus pandemic, with the help of developer EdgemoorStar America Judicial Partners through the county’s first public-private partnership, according to a news release.

In summer 2018, the County Council approved the partnership plan, introduced by then-County Executive Allan Kittleman, a Republican. A groundbreaking was held in late June 2019.

The courthouse is the largest capital project in county history, the release states, and replaces the 175-year-old historic courthouse in Ellicott City, which was about 70,000 square feet.

“Howard County’s new circuit courthouse is an outstanding achievement and a model for the rest of our country,” said Ball, a Democrat, in a statement. “It’s clear that our team has created a beautiful space that will improve our public safety, is environmentally sustainable and provides greater access to justice for our community.”

The courthouse, at 9250 Judicial Way off U.S. 29 and Route 108, features a four-story atrium, a large entryway for safety screening of people entering the courthouse, and separate elevators and hallways for detainees. It has a larger and more comfortable jury assembly area than the old courthouse, and a 682-space parking garage adjacent to the building.

It also includes office space for the state’s attorney, sheriff, register of wills, clerk of the court, Howard County Bar Association and the Office of the Public Defender.

“Our legal clinics and the bar library are both larger and able to provide more resources to more litigants,” Judge William Tucker, administrative judge for the Howard County Circuit Court, said in a statement marking last week’s unveiling. “We will be able to expand alternative dispute resolution programs, interpreter services and work with more community organizations in order to offer lower-cost options for court-ordered services.”

More than 2,000 workers and 100 companies were involved in the construction, which focused on using minority- and veteran-owned businesses for building, maintenance, operations and supplies, as outlined in the agreement between the county and Edgemoor-Star America.

Overall, $117 million in contracts were awarded to Maryland-based firms, $22 million in contracts were awarded to Equal Business Opportunity firms and $19 million in contracts were awarded to Howard County-based firms, according to the county.

The county will host a virtual public meeting Tuesday to discuss the redevelopment of the historic courthouse and its associated properties in Ellicott City and gather public feedback. After the meeting, there will be an online survey for residents to submit additional input.