Downtown Lake Charles will soon be the home to a new $50 million judicial complex that consolidates all Calcasieu Parish district court operations.
On Wednesday, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury along with other officials from the parish and city hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in downtown Lake Charles for the project, which has been in discussion for decades.
"(For) 20 years, we went on and plans changed, and then things kind of got quiet for a while, but it's really happening,” 14th Judicial Court Chief Judge Cynthia Clay Guillory said at the event. “We're really here today, and God is so good. We sing a song at church and says 'we will see the goodness of the Lord while we live,' (and) I'm so excited I'm seeing it while I live. I'm so excited that I'm seeing it as chief judge, along with my fellow judges.”
The new complex will be a 108,000-square-foot three-story facility between the Magnolia Building and the Parish Government Building that is designed to compliment the nearby historic courthouse, according to a news release from the police jury.
The Judicial Complex will consolidate all district court operations, including family, juvenile, civil and criminal courts, into one building.
Within the facility, there will be 11 courtrooms, public waiting areas, jury deliberation rooms, judges chambers, staff offices and separate holding areas for adults and juveniles. In addition, there will be dedicated space for the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, and Clerk of Court staff.
“By bringing all district court services under one roof, we’re improving efficiency, accessibility and collaboration,” Police Jury President Judd Bares said in the release. “It will also significantly enhance the safety and security of our judges, staff, and everyone who visits the complex.”
In addition, Bares said in the release that the parish will be saving costs long term by reducing the amount of aging buildings to maintain by having one complex.
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Facility Management Director Dean Kelly said the project will be paid mostly with bond funds.
For the Judicial Complex, Champeaux Evans Hotard Architects is the project architect and Lemoine is the contractor.
When the new facility is completed, the current 14th Judicial District Court building will be demolished, the release states. In place of the building, the Police Jury is going to create Calcasieu Square, a new green space, and a walkable path through the complex that will link Lakeshore Drive to Ryan Street.
However, the current courthouse will stay up until construction is complete.
The three-phase construction process is expected to take just under 2½ years, according to the release. Completion is anticipated for the first quarter of 2028.
“We have a design plan and a building that we can all be proud of,” Kelly said. " … To say this was a monumental undertaking, that doesn't do it justice. There have been so many, so many, so many very intense discussions. Everyone needs their needs met as a community, if we have one shot to get this done and done right.”