Forsyth County Courthouse and Jail Project

Approved as part of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VII program approved by voters in November 2011 was $100 million to fund a new courthouse, jail expansion and related parking facility. Check back for information and updates throughout the project.

Project Team
Due to the scope of this project, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners assembled a SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team. Formation of the Project Team was approved by the Board of Commissioners at their January 24, 2012 work session.

The Project Team will review preliminary planning and programming documents; review preliminary budget and scheduling; evaluate various construction delivery methods and recommend the best option to the Board of Commissioners; meet on an as needed basis to manage the project through completion; consult with the Board of Commissioners on various matters; and consult with the program/project manager, architect and others to ensure the project is properly managed.

Project Team Members:
Board of Commissioners – Todd Levent and R.J. (Pete) Amos, Commissioners
Judiciary/Courts – Jeffrey Bagley, Chief Judge, Superior Court
Sheriff’s Office – Duane Piper, Sheriff
Finance Department – David Gruen, Finance Director/CFO
Public Facilities Management – David Thornton, Director, Public Facilities
Procurement Department – Donna Kukarola, Director of Procurement
County Manager’s Office – Doug Derrer, County Manager
City of Cumming – Ford Gravitt, Mayor

Program Manager
At the recommendation of the SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at their July 19, 2012 meeting selected CGL (Carter Goble Lee, LLC) to provide program manager services for the jail and courthouse project.

Architectural/Engineering Firm
At the recommendation of the SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at their September 20, 2012 meeting selected Wakefield Beasley & Associates to provide architectural/engineering services for the jail and courthouse project.

Conceptual Design
At the recommendation of the SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at their October 18, 2012 meeting selected the conceptual design known as the Town Green concept for the project. This concept features a courthouse located adjacent to a large green space that serves as the entry for the building and as a gathering place for the community. Click here to view the Town Green concept.

Construction Management at Risk
At the recommendation of the SPLOST VII Jail/Courthouse Project Team, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners at their December 6, 2012 meeting selected Turner/Winter Joint Venture to provide construction management at risk services for the jail and courthouse project.

Demolition of Structures on Site of New Courthouse and Jail
Demolition of the structures located on the site of Forsyth County’s future new courthouse and jail in downtown Cumming is complete. The structures demolished were the parking deck at the intersection of East Main Street and Mason Street, government building and professional building, all on the site of the new courthouse, and a small building on the site of the new jail. At their January 8, 2013 work session, the Board of Commissioners awarded the bid for the demolition project to Industrial Facilities Solutions, LLC. Click here to view a time-lapse video of the demolition of the structures on the site of the new courthouse.