The Taj Mahal New Courthouse?
Tue, 2016-03-29 20:55
News Staff
“Insane costs”
By G. Romero Wendorf
While standing in the near-empty Hidalgo County courthouse two Fridays ago (most of the judges were out golfing), wondering how much over-budget the new courthouse will end up costing us if indeed it ever gets built on the backs of county residents, I started asking myself this question:
Why is it going to cost approximately $150 million to build a new county courthouse comprised of 311,000 square feet, when according to several contractors I’ve spoken with recently, the going rate for commercial construction is between $150 and $175 per square foot. For buildings related to the medical field, or clinics, for example, science buildings on college campuses, with all the extra filtration equipment needed, etc., figure somewhere in the $200+ per square foot.
Last time I checked, the proposed new courthouse wasn’t going to perform either in-patient or out-patient surgeries. Nor are any science experiments expected to take place in any of the courtrooms.