IMEG provided engineering design services for an addition to the existing Justice Center in Rock Island.

Engineers provided structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, technology, and acoustical design, along with energy modeling, land surveying, and commissioning services for the new 48,000-square-foot annex building. The annex houses four new courtrooms and offices for the circuit clerk, state’s attorney, and court administrator. The design also includes two new parking lots that will replace the lots where the annex is being constructed, revisions to the Justice Center’s existing site utilities, and audio/visual upgrades to five existing court rooms.

The structural design included drilled piers (caissons) and cast-in-place concrete grade beams. The main floor is comprised of composite still and concrete, with bar joist and metal deck roof construction. An elevated bridge designed to connect to the existing building will aid in prisoner transport.

The mechanical design included two roof-mounted, packaged RTU’s with gas heating and DX cooling. Ductless split systems provide cooling in the IT areas, and high-efficiency hot water boilers are included for terminal heating equipment, runtal radiation, cabinet heaters, and unit heaters throughout the building. Distributed lighting controls, dimming daylighting controls, and a voice-based fire alarm system were included in the electrical design. Additionally, the main utility service for the existing jail was rerouted to make way for the new building, and the overhead utility for the existing courthouse was moved underground. A new backup generator supplies the entire building’s demand load.

The technology design included new fiber routed around the site to upgrade connectivity to adjacent buildings and provide redundancy. New security cameras accommodate both the county and state requirements, and new courtroom audio/visual systems allow offsite monitoring and control.

Construction began in April 2017 and was completed in November 2018.