Waukesha County’s progression through its eight-year courthouse remodeling and renovation project has reached the front door, forcing guests to enter through the side door for a while.
On June 29, the main entrance that faces Moreland Boulevard in Waukesha will become inaccessible as the second phase of the long project reconfigures how people will move in and out of the building after 2027.
In the meantime, what has usually been an employee and administrative entrance on the east side of the building has been retrofitted with a security station, creating a temporary public entrance.
Work on the courthouse, which opened in 1959, began in 2019 with the demolition of the court intake building and former jail space. That marked the start of a $38.5 million, three-year first-phase project focused on a new 62,000-square-foot courtroom tower.
The four-story tower has eight courtrooms and modern elements, including better security and safety features, according to the plans approved in 2018.
Phase 2, estimated at $114 million, began in 2023 with the remodeling of the 1959 building and its old courtrooms, jury intake room, administrative offices and other departmental spaces, some of which had been moved to other buildings on the campus years earlier.
The existing main entrance, including the facade and the land in front, will be demolished. The new entrance, with an 8,000-square-foot lobby, will have separate doors and corridors for those entering or leaving the building, according to security staff, who spoke briefly with a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter in June.
“This project represents a major investment in the future of Waukesha County,” Allison Bussler, director of the Department of Public Works, said in a June 25 news release. “We have made significant progress over the past few years, and each step brings us closer to the finish line.”
Officials said visitors should observe signs directing them where to go and follow staff directions as they enter the building. It might require some extra time from visitors to navigate through the courthouse. It’s a short-term headache for a long-term improvement, Bussler said.
“When complete, this remodeled courthouse will better serve the public, improve safety and security, and provide a more functional space for everyone who relies on this building,” she said.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha County Courthouse’s 8-year project prompts temporary entrance
Reporting by Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
