The existing Jonas Courthouse was constructed in 1915 with an additional expansion added in 1934. The U.S. Courthouse Annex project site is located within the existing parking lot behind the courthouse. The proposed eight-story addition, along with a basement parking lot, and subbasement will be constructed within the existing parking lot and connected to the original structure by an atrium.
Recommendations were made by F&R’s geotechnical professionals to support deep foundations for the proposed courthouse annex. Two options were proposed for either drilled shafts or steel H-piles.
Our subsurface exploration was completed successfully even though there were several challenges at the project site. Work was interrupted frequently by law enforcement responding to public disturbance calls and occurred at night to accommodate the courthouse operations. Noise levels from our operations had to be under 70 decibels so as not to disturb Courthouse proceedings.
Prior to demolition activities to make way for the new construction, F&R’s Industrial Hygienists conducted a Limited Hazardous Materials Survey to identify Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACMs), Lead-Based Paint (LBP) coatings, and other hazardous materials that may pose an environmental concern prior to renovation/demolition activities.
A historic 10,000-gallon underground storage tank (UST) was identified along with several off-site incidents which were considered recognized environmental conditions (RECs). Controlled recognized environmental conditions (CRECs), historical recognized environmental conditions (HRECs), de minimis conditions, and items of environmental concern were not identified on the property. Further environmental assessment was not recommended based on the prior removal of the UST, the urban nature of the site, and municipal water service.
