Considerations for new courthouse construction

Lessons learned from the Miami-Dade County Civil Courthouse project

As an early contributor to the Miami-Dade County Civil Courthouse project, we played a pivotal role collaborating with Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit and Miami-Dade County government in planning for the replacement of downtown Miami's 100-year-old civil courthouse. Our consultants offered their expertise to evaluate partnership proposals while also providing feedback in areas related to courthouse planning and design.

This report explores the successes and challenges of the county and court leading up to the Public-Private Partnership (P3) award for the new courthouse. 

These successes and challenges are discussed in detail in the following sections of this report: 

• Master planning process
• Citizen task forces
• Unsolicited proposals
• Public-Private Partnership ("P3") solicitation process

Recommendations shaped by lessons learned

Our involvement in this challenging and ultimately successful project informed recommendations that can guide other jurisdictions when new court infrastructure is needed:

• Communicate the need clearly: Use social media platforms, public forums, and other outreach methods to ensure the community understands why modern courthouses matter
• Set the foundation: Having a comprehensive master plan in place before projects begin can also help justify the need and steer the process
• Engage experts: Using expert courthouse planners and consultants can help keep Public Private Partnership projects on track
• Find advocates and build strong relationships: Identify government and private sector allies and engage directly with stakeholders
• Be prepared to persevere: Dedication, flexibility and persistence are key to dealing with the inevitable setbacks and adapting strategies to cope with the challenges that result
• Use data to your advantage: Reliable data helps justify needs and avoid any issues that could undermine the project's credibility
• Be transparent: Being up-front about potential problems and proposed solutions can help keep and maintain public trust
• Establish a leadership team: Executive-level decision makers with the authority to address problems directly can avoid delays and bottlenecks
• Commit to continuity: Dedicated staff members who oversee the project from start to finish can help avoid repeated errors
• Evaluate each step: Objective experts can verify that critical steps are completed correctly, and any challenges are addressed quickly