State of Connecticut Awards Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse Project to KBE Building Corp.

TORRINGTON, Conn. — After decades of planning and discussion, the state of Connecticut has chosen KBE Building Corporation to design and build the long-awaited Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse in Torrington, Connecticut.

KBE is the design-builder and constructor   for the $67.8-million construction project, which encompasses the new construction of a 183,600-square-foot L-shaped building containing a south wing with three stories and basement and a north wing with four stories and basement. The courthouse will accommodate 386 vehicles via an attached two-story parking structure and onsite parking at grade level.      

The design-build team includes The DLR Group as the lead architect with support from architect AM Design. DLR Group's Justice+Civic practice is recognized for award-winning courthouse and correctional design for local, state and federal clients. AM Design has designed three courthouse projects.

Other design team members include BVH Integrated Services, providing structural, civil, mechanical/electrical/plumbing and information technology engineering services; CR3 LLC providing landscape architecture; Geodesign, Inc. providing geotechnical and environmental engineering and Meehan Goodin providing surveying services.

The new building will reflect a traditional courthouse style incorporating a colonnade and a clock/stair tower. Its cast stone and brick exterior will take note of the adjacent buildings while portraying the image of a prominent governmental building.    

Intended as a replacement for the existing courthouse located in Litchfield, the new building will house criminal courts, civil courts, arraignment courts, juvenile courts and family courts with all the requisite support spaces. It will also contain a protected sally port and holding area for prisoners, a law library, a public defenders" space, a judicial marshal's office and a state's attorney's office.  

The team will pursue LEED Silver certification for the project. The groundbreaking occurred on Aug. 12, with completion scheduled for March 2016.