Primary Department: County Engineer
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., PMP, CFM, ENV-SP
Managing Department: County Engineer
Managing Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., PMP, CFM, ENV-SP
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Investment Memo
Investment Memo Type: Final Investment Memo
Project Name: Harris County Courts Expansion
Project ID (if applicable): CRTS_EXP
Vendor Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Achievement (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Incremental Authorization Requested: $30,830,000
Total Estimated Project Cost: $54,830,000
Request Summary:
title
Request for approval of a Final Investment Memo for the Harris County Courts Expansion project, for an incremental authorization of $30,830,000 for a total authorization of $54,830,000, and request for approval of additional commercial paper funding in the amount of $2,500,000 for a total allocation of $26,500,000.
end
Project Description:
On 17 Sept 2025, Texas State Legislature passed HB 16. Texas House Bill 16, enacted by the 89th Legislature, mandates Harris County to establish six additional civil courts with the following implementation deadlines:
• County Civil Court at Law #5 - Required by December 4, 2025 (currently operating in temporary shared space)
• District Civil Courts 513th, 514th, 515th, Required by September 1, 2026
• District Civil Courts 516th, 517th, Required by October 1, 2026
This project seeks to accommodate new and relocated state-mandated courts to ensure long-term compliance with state law.
This First Phase of the project is currently in progress and will be completed in FY2027. It will create six courtrooms in existing downtown facilities to accommodate the six new House Bill 16 courts. This phase includes the design and the construction of two Civil Courts at 1019 Congress and four Civil Courts at 201 Caroline.
The Second Phase of this project includes the renovation of space for the active Courts and related support spaces from the Family Law Center to 1019 Congress and other downtown facilities.
All other vacant or inactive rooms within the building will be demolished with the facility. Requests for accommodation related to vacant or inactive spaces are to be routed through space planning’s current process.
Any staff that do not have a direct physical function in a courtroom or direct security activity within a court building will be assessed to relocate their workspace to other Non-Court buildings, any technological needs to facilitate communications or supervision across multiple facilities will be coordinated between tenant and Universal Services.
This phase is expected to start in FY26 and complete in FY2027.
Anticipated Project Expenditures and Timeline:
|
Project Scope Breakdown |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Completion |
|
Phase 1 - House Bill 16 Courts - Relocations and Court Construction (Previous FIM) |
$24,000,000 |
FY2027 |
|
Phase 2 - Family Law Center - Relocations and Court Construction (Current FIM) |
$30,830,000 |
FY2027 |
|
‘Contingency Included in Estimates Above’ |
|
|
|
Total |
$54,830,000 |
FY2027 |
Justification & Alternatives:
Project is necessary to ensure long-term court compliance with state law.
No alternatives were approved by Commissioners Court on 1/29/2026 for Relocations or 10/31/2023 for demolition of Family Law Center.
Anticipated Impact on Other Funds (If Applicable):
|
Fund Code |
Description |
Estimated Cost |
Funding Method (Existing or Future Budget Request Required) |
Estimated Date of Needs |
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|
|
$- |
|
- |
|
|
|
$- |
|
- |
|
Total |
|
$- |
|
- |
County Strategic Plan Goal: 1. Make Harris County safer and more just.
County Strategic Plan Objective: E: Increase efficiency across the legal system.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): E1: Modernize data and technology architecture across the legal system.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): H4: Consistently embed sustainability considerations in the project planning and design process.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): J2: Increase the strength and size of MWBE prime vendors.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): T2: Make County buildings more energy efficient.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Previous Court Action:
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
3/31/2026 |
26-2031 |
Approved: Request for approval to execute an agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. in the amount of $928,897.65 for Professional Engineering and related services in connection with 1019 Congress - (Annex 46) Courtroom Buildouts - 2025, UPIN 25035MF3XN01, Precinct 1, MWBE Contracted Goal: 20.47%. |
|
02/26/2026 |
26-1171 |
Approved: Request for approval of a Final Investment Memo for the Harris County Courts Expansion project for an amount of $24,000,000, and request for approval of commercial paper funding in the amount of $24,000,000. |
|
1/29/2026 |
26-0818 |
Approved: Relocate County Clerks Offices and District Clerks Offices from 201 Caroline to 1001 Preston. |
|
6/12/2025 |
25-3464 <https://harriscountytx.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7426889&GUID=00BC4073-90AD-4D90-9893-8E3B4FD788DA&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=Family+Law+Center&FullText=1>Request for approval to execute an agreement with Kirksey Architecture, Inc., in the amount of $916,060.00 for Professional Services to Prepare Plans Specifications & Cost Estimate documents in connection with demolition and site grading for the Family Law Center building located at 1115 Congress St, Houston, TX 77002 - Demolition - UPIN 24035MF38F01, Precinct 1, MWBE Contracted Goal: 18.3%. |
|
|
1/9/2025 |
25-0168 <https://harriscountytx.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7080842&GUID=ACD8D288-8E79-4BEB-BFF2-219ED10CBA0C&Options=ID|Text|&Search=Family+Law+Center>Request for approval to reject the response(s) received for professional architectural and/or engineering services to develop demolition construction documents of the Family Law Center for Harris County (240382). |
|
|
12/10/2024 |
24-7401 <https://harriscountytx.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7042943&GUID=5E680678-8B1D-4FEA-8B47-F3B128CF38BD&Options=ID|Text|&Search=Family+Law+Center>Request for approval of a project scheduled for advertisement for professional architectural and/or engineering services to develop demolition construction documents of the Family Law Center for Harris County (240382). |
|
|
2/27/2024 |
24-1077 |
Request for approval of the Preliminary Investment Memo for the 1115 Congress Street - Family Law Center Demolition project for an initial authorization of $1,020,000 and initial commercial paper funding in the amount of $1,020,000, UPIN 24035MF38F01. |
|
10/31/2023 |
23-6209 |
Approved: Request for approval to demolish the Harris County Family Law Center Building located at 1115 Congress Street, Houston, TX 77002, Precinct 1. |
Address: 201 Caroline, 1001 Preston, 1019 Congress, Downtown Court Complex
Precinct(s): Precinct 1
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
|
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|
|
Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Commercial Paper |
$0 |
$ |
$ |
$0 |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Current Budget |
$0 |
$ |
$ |
$0 |
|
Additional Budget Request |
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Commercial Paper |
$ |
$2,500,000 |
$2,500,000 |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
5/14/2026 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$2,500,000 |
$2,500,000 |
$ |
|
Total Funding Request |
$ |
$2,500,000 |
$2,500,00 |
$ |
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: 5/14/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Legal funding compliance confirmed by: Sandra Andersson Staine, Senior Assistant County Attorney, 4/30/2026
Department Approval by: Chief Samuel Pena, Infrastructure Services & Disaster Recovery
Office of County Engineer
OMB CIP Team Approval by: William McGuinness, Director-Capital Projects & Infrastructure, 5/5/2026
Commercial Paper Request (For OMB use only):
Receiving Department: County Engineer
Project PeopleSoft ID: CRTS_EXP
CP Series Description: Commercial Paper Series D-2 can be used for (1) construction of public works, (2) the purchase of automobiles, equipment and machinery, including computers, materials and supplies for the operation of the County’s precincts and departments (3) Professional services, including services provided by engineers, architects, attorneys, auditors, financial advisors, and fiscal agents, in connection with the contractual obligations described in (1) and (2).
Commercial Paper is being requested for the Harris County Courts Expansion - 2026 project and is expected to be repaid within the next three fiscal years either through bonds, budgetary means or pay-as-you-go sources.OMB Financial Management contact: Fahad Gulzar, Acting Deputy Executive Director, Office of Management and Budget