The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has awarded an additional $71 million to Gilbane Building Co. for renovations to the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, tripling the amount of a 2021 contract in order to finish the project without soliciting a new construction manager.
The Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, in Lawrenceville, includes county government offices, 22 courtrooms and the auditorium where commissioners meet. A separate government office building on the same campus, One Justice Square, is also being renovated.
The 61-acre campus opened in 1988. This is the first major update since then.
Gilbane is wrapping up phase four of the 10-phase project, said Jerry Dennis, the Gwinnett facility construction division project manager overseeing the renovations. The change order brings Gilbane’s total award to $105 million.
Gwinnett did not solicit a new construction manager in part because Gilbane is familiar with the systems in the building, Financial Services Director Buffy Alexzulian told commissioners.
The company will solicit at least three bids for each component of the project from its established network of subcontractors, a process that would take Gwinnett County longer to complete directly, said Ron Adderley, Gwinnett’s acting support services director.
The construction manager fee remains unchanged at 2.4%.
“When we look at all the factors, it was in the best interest of the county,” Adderley said. “The partnership with Gilbane has worked out really well for the county. The structure of the contract gives them only a small amount of money as part of the general conditions. The rest of it is bid out and the bids are reviewed by the county.”
Most of the money is coming from the county’s general fund, except for $11 million from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax that voters approved two years ago to pay for courtroom renovations. Finishes and lighting are being upgraded across the campus.
The initial contract with Gilbane included two floors of One Justice Square and offices for county commissioners, the county administrator, the communications and human resources departments, the district’s attorney office and grand jury space, Dennis said. The additional award to Gilbane covers the rest of the campus, he said. It also includes about $12 million for work on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, according to a memo from Adderley to commissioners.
The new completion date is in March 2028, according to the memo. The building’s footprint will not change and no disruptions are anticipated to in-person public services, Adderley said.
