Reconstruction begins on flooded downtown plaza

More than two years after Hurricane Harvey filled the Jury Assembly Plaza downtown with 13 feet of water, its reconstruction is finally underway.

The $11.3 million project was stalled until Harris County commissioners approved a funding agreement last week. The county had been waiting on FEMA’s approval for its part in financing the project, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

“We’re asking all the questions to make sure this isn’t only done quickly but that it’s done well,” she said outside the plaza Friday. “It’s important to the administration of justice to making sure that enough jurors can come together each day.”

Hidalgo and District Clerk Marilyn Burgess assured the public that more precautions will be taken during the rebuild to ensure the level of internal flooding during Harveyin August 2017 won’t happen again.

The building, at 1201 Congress, is mostly underground and consists of four chambers and an open central area. Floodwater filled the assembly room, also destroying a number of windows and furniture, accord

ing to the district clerk’s office.

Mitigation efforts include relocating an electric vault to an above-ground space to address the source of past flooding. Penetrations to the vault will be sealed, and the basement flood doors will be replaced. Those will also have sensors that detect moisture and trigger alarms, county officials said.

The plan also calls for workers to install water-resistant flooring; new ceilings, walls and furniture; and a renovated pumping and ventilation system.

Reimbursements for the project are expected from county insurance, the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA, according to the district clerk’s office.

Since Harvey, prospective jurors have been called to a temporary room in the basement of the county administrative building on 1001 Preston. Burgess said many people have complained about the cramped space, which holds less than a third of the 1,000 people the plaza can accommodate.

“We recognize it’s inadequate, and it’s been a frustration to all the jurors as well as people in my office,” Burgess said.

Construction should take between 12 and 14 months, putting jurors back at the assembly plaza by April 2021.

Courtesy of Page Southerland Page Inc. Construction on the Harris County Jury Assembly Plaza, shown in a rendering, should take 12 to 14 months.

Samantha Ketterer / Staff Harris County district clerk Marilyn Burgess announces the start of reconstruction of the flooded Jury Assembly Plaza at 1201 Congress during a news conference Friday.