News and Articles

Santa Fe County will be breaking ground on the new Steve Herrera District Courthouse tomorrow, November 18, at 11:30AM at new courthouse site on the corner of Montezuma St. and Sandoval St. There will be a brief ceremony giving an overview of the project and its impact on the community.

Bradbury Stamm's $38.1M bid made them the General Contractor for the project. Bradbury Stamm's portfolio includes Isotopes Park, Santa Ana Star Center, Albuquerque Aquarium and Bio-Park, and the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. The project is scheduled to start January 2009, with a total construction period of 24 months; completion is slated for January 2011.

Planning and Execution of the Project:

Ten years ago, Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners began discussing replacement of the current Judicial Courthouse with a modern and appropriately sized facility. In 2005, the Board voted to locate the facility in downtown Santa Fe; the voters were asked to approve issuance of a $25 million general obligation bond. Voters approved the proposed bonds in November 2006, and work began soon afterward to acquire property and to select the design team for the project.

Selection of the site at the northeast corner of Montezuma and Sandoval Streets was intentional, as the new facility would complement the existing District Attorney's office there and share a common landscaped plaza and underground parking garage.

The total budget for the project is $55 million; those funds will be raised from the $25 million of general obligation bonds approved by the voters in 2006, and an unobligated portion of the County Gross Receipts Tax.

The final design reflects significant input from the general public, local historic preservation design community members, and the Historic Design Review Board.

Downtown Santa Fe is the hub of State, City and County business, and the Judicial Complex complements those general public functions. The steady influx of persons visiting the facility on a daily basis and the approximately 100 full time employees will continue to benefit the downtown area.


Architectural/Engineering Aspects:

Security, space, parking, and the project budget were the four essential parameters that guided the design of the Steve Herrera Judicial Complex project. We believe that the final design achieves all those parameters, and more. Design and engineering aspects of the project are as follows:

§ Two below grade parking levels will provide134 non-secure parking spaces and 25 secure parking spaces for the Judges and their staff.

§ The basement level in-custody sally port and holding areas will include secure vertical circulation to courtrooms.

§ The design incorporates 8 courtrooms and 2 hearing rooms.

§ Public, staff, and in-custody circulation patterns will be completely separated to assure protection of staff and public.

§ Finishes in public areas will be durable low maintenance finishes with traditional wood veneer wall covering in courtrooms.

§ Security technology will be state of the art to allow for monitoring of all areas and audio visual of courtroom proceedings.

§ The plaza area will formalize the outdoor community space and allow for vegetation and shaded seating for the public. Trellis shade structures and portals were also incorporated into the plaza design.

§ A colonnade was designed along Sandoval Street to allow for additional set back from the street elevation and create a covered accessible pedestrian route.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design):

The projected rating on this facility is LEED Gold and features the following "Green" aspects:

§ Over 78% of the demolition waste from the Paramount, Blue Monkey and Enacon buildings was recycled and thereby diverted from being disposed of in a landfill.

§ Construction waste management will be implemented during the construction phase.

§ Significant heat island reduction will be achieved by locating facility parking spaces underground, thereby reducing the need for asphalt surface parking.

§ Further heat island effect reduction will be achieved by implementing white roof surfaces, concrete, and pavers with a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI).

§ Implementation of Light Pollution Reduction methods will significantly lower the amount of light emitted into the night sky.

§ Implementation of a rain catchment and cistern storage system will reduce water use; potable water will not be used for site landscaping.

§ Implementation of ultra high efficient plumbing and water fixtures will result in a 40%+ water reduction over a similar building.

§ Occupancy sensors at rooms not frequently occupied and photo sensors at building interiors with high levels of natural light will reduce overall power consumption.

§ Temperature controlled recirculation pump for the domestic water system will reduce energy use.

§ Low-E glazing throughout, operable windows and 2^nd and 3^rd floors will facilitate natural air circulation and ventilation.

§ Enhanced Commissioning of the buildings mechanical systems will ensure that the electrical, mechanical, and HVAC systems operate as designed to maximize energy efficiency.

§ No ozone-depleting CFC and HCFC refrigerants will be used in HVAC systems.

§ The County will purchase of wind power carbon offsets for 70% of the building's annual electrical consumption.

§ Areas in the building will be dedicated for storage and collection of recyclables.

§ Fifty percent of wood products used in the project will be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified, which encourages
environmentally responsible forest management.

§ Building materials used in the building will originate within a 500 mile radius of Santa Fe wherever possible.

§ Building materials will use a high recycled content.

§ Low emitting materials will be used throughout the building (such as adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets, etc.) to lower the amount of off-gassing and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) which are typically emitted from these products.

§ Use of urea-formaldehyde plywood and fiberboard will be restricted and Argifiber products will be used in cabinetry and casework.

§ A Green Housekeeping Plan will be implemented which eliminates the use of harmful cleaning chemicals, and implements the use of biodegradable cleaning products and green housekeeping training for the custodial staff