A $8.45 million Collier County jury room and courtroom expansion project that has been pending for more than six years is moving forward and is expected to be completed next year, providing jurors with a larger, modern jury assembly room and two additional courtrooms for judges.
The Board of County Commissioners on May 26 unanimously approved paying Chris-Tel Construction $8,475,394 to build two new sixth-floor courtrooms and restrooms, upgrade a training room and fire protection systems, and construct and relocate the fifth-floor jury room to the sixth floor of the county courthouse, Building L, at 3315 Tamiami Trail E.
Chris-Tel, hired in November 2022, is serving as the county’s construction manager at risk, meaning it acts as an adviser during the design phase and transitions to a general contractor during construction. CMARs commit to delivering a project at a guaranteed maximum price, assuming the financial risk for cost overruns and lifting that burden from the county.
“This is not only the jury room, it’s two courtrooms,” County Facilities Director Brian DeLony said after Commissioner Rick LoCastro questioned the cost. “We’re basically gutting the entire sixth floor and redoing the entire sixth floor. On top of that, we’re also redoing the fire alarm and sprinkler throughout the entire building. … This is all night and weekend work because it can’t occur with the courts in session.”
Funding will be split between the Infrastructure Sales Fund and County Court Facilities Fee Fund, which is supported by a surcharge on noncriminal traffic infractions. The county Surtax Citizen Oversight Committee recommended the expenditure in June 2025, and commissioners approved it the following month. It is among the last projects approved to use the remaining surtax funds.
County voters approved the 1-cent infrastructure sales surtax referendum in 2018 to pay for 18 authorized infrastructure projects. Collier County receives 91.2% of the tax revenue, while the remainder is divided among the cities of Naples, Marco Island and Everglades City. The tax ended Dec. 31, 2023, two years earlier than expected, after collecting $520.9 million, plus $20.2 million in interest, far exceeding expectations. As a result, the cities have asked commissioners to consider placing it on the ballot again.
The tax has funded projects including Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park, a new sheriff’s forensics building, bridge replacements and road improvements. Funds also have been set aside for the pending Veterans Affairs nursing home and the Collier County Behavioral Health Center.
The courtroom project previously began but was temporarily placed on administrative hold because of unforeseen conditions that have since been resolved. The jury room expansion was recommended by a team representing Facilities Management, the Clerk’s Office and criminal justice stakeholders. The group suggested relocating the Guardian Ad Litem program to accommodate a larger jury room.
Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller Crystal Kinzel has compared the current jury room furnishings to grade-school seating, with old-style lifting chair arms. Among the improvements, she said, will be an upgraded jury coffee station.
“We have reviewed the layouts, and it will provide better space for jurors called,” Kinzel said this week. “We also have requested upgraded vending machines for the convenience of jurors and will be reviewing furniture options based upon cost and comfort.”
Funds for furniture will come from the Countywide Capital Improvements Fund.
Construction is expected to take 521 days and will begin in August, with the courtrooms built during the first phase and the jury room expansion during the second phase. Completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The project follows several jury-related improvements made in recent years, including a jury-management system that reduced the number of jurors summoned to the courthouse’s once-crowded jury room. In 2022, Collier County was among the first Florida counties to implement the Tyler Technologies Jury Management System.
“We have streamlined the juror pool, in conjunction with the judges, to limit the number of jurors summoned to as few as possible for the trials required,” Kinzel said. “Hopefully, this will continue to save dollars and valuable juror time.”
The system, combined with communication with judges, improved how jury pools are used daily. It more accurately predicts how many jurors are needed, reducing the number of residents called for service; improves address verification, lowering printing and postage costs; communicates efficiently with potential jurors regarding reporting requirements; and reduces the number of paper summonses mailed.
Jurors now have reserved parking on the top level of the county parking garage next to the courthouse.
“We look forward to adding to the comfort of jurors who are called to serve,” Kinzel said of the jury room, which will double in size. “The layout will provide additional space, as well as enhance the flow for check-in and processing jurors.”