Judicial Construction | Weigand Construction

For more than a century, the Noble County Courthouse has marked Albion, Indiana as a historical pillar in both the town and the greater region. In April, county officials, community members, and key contributors dedicated the building, a milestone marking a new age as it stands to serve future generations throughout the county going forward.

After nearly 140 years of operation with only a handful of updates throughout its lifetime, the facility needed a structural overhaul to continue supporting the needs of the county circuit court while still meeting accessibility and safety requirements. Weigand Construction led the renovation effort as architect American Structurepoint concepted a refreshed space that honored the history of the courthouse and the community.

The Renovation Process

Revitalizing the Noble County Courthouse was a complex task that required a careful mix of gathering sufficient information, formulating an effective plan, and intentionally balancing resources to develop solutions as challenges arose.

Comprehensive refits were required throughout the facility, which necessitated both preserving the historical elements and repairing areas with sustained wear. An example of this was a lack of concrete slab present on the first floor while the surface of third story also needed replaced. To fix this, our team installed a concrete slab on the first floor and poured a special, lightweight mixture of concrete on the third story to reinforce the outdated flooring systems.

Other renovations involved processes such as:

Removing a large metal safe weighing several tons.
Building a specialized scaffolding system for transporting equipment and materials.
Retrofitting the existing elevator shaft to house a new one.
Safely removing asbestos and lead paint.
Undertaking a massive scope of plaster work throughout a significant chunk of the project.
Separating the HVAC unit into more than a dozen pieces to fit it through the doors and reassemble inside.
Successfully tearing down and replacing a load bearing wall with a structural support beam in the second-floor courtroom.

These improvements took an intense level of detailed coordination and focus to meet the required parameters of the job. The result was a 138-year-old courthouse being brought back into compliance with modern building standards and safety protocols, ensuring its ability to support Noble County Circuit Court activities for years to come.

A Moment Marking History

We’ve labeled this project as a renovation, which means to restore something to a former, better state. To breathe new life into it. But what has been done here at the Noble County Courthouse goes beyond a simple renovation. I think our local newspaper editor, Matt Getts, said it best: ‘this project has been nothing short of a rescue mission to preserve one of the most historic and significant structures in our county.'” – Zachary Smith, PE, Highway Director, Noble County

Visit Our Dedicated Project to Find Out More about this Renovation Effort

The End of the Beginning

On Monday, April 10th, Weigand workers attached the final beams of the Steuben County Judicial Center’s frame, marking a new progress milestone for the project. When finished in 2024, the new facility will be over 56,000 square feet, making it the first new judicial system construction in over 150 years. The current Steuben County Annex, which was first built in 1867, has become increasingly outdated and unable to meet new municipal building accessibility requirements. After a period of putting together a plan that went between updating the Annex or creating an entirely new facility, community officials decided to move forward with starting from scratch with a new judicial center.

Bringing Officials Together

The 3 Story + Partial Basement structure brings several amenities and more space:

3 Courtrooms in the upper levels
Judicial Department Offices
Law Library
Administrative Suite
Holding Cells

With a significant increase in square footage, Steuben County’s justice system will be able to bring most of its public offices into one single building. All but the Sheriff’s Department will transfer to the new building, including some additional offices like the Clerk of Courts, Probation Department, and the Steuben County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

Project Dedication

Despite the challenges that come with construction during the winter months, our team has completed 210 consistent days of project operations, putting us one-third of the way through the schedule. Steel erection was completed in just 2.5 weeks, paving the way for preparations on the first-floor slab deck like stairs, decking, detailing, and welding.

Starting from Rock Bottom

The success of completing the steel topping would not have been possible without the expert work of Weigand’s concrete crew, however. Beginning the job in the basement, crews spent weeks safely excavating soil and creating the bottom level of the structure. This part of the project was finalized with a well-executed, 9,700 square foot concrete slab pour. From here, crews began work setting the foundation for the building’s first floor. These individual milestones created a base for pillars and steel framing to go up, allowing us to see the “skeleton” of the facility for the first time!

Homegrown Investment

Students from Hendry Park Elementary School attended the topping out ceremony, and many locals have voiced in favor of this project. There was debate initially on whether the original judicial building should be a renovation project instead of an entirely new structure, but once a decision had been made, the community rallied behind the conclusion and saw this construction as an important next step for the region. The Steuben County Government, RQAW Architecture, and the City of Angola have also demonstrated their show of support, partnering with Weigand in this venture. However, this is not just a municipal project for the county. It’s also an opportunity for Weigand staff to invest directly in the places they call home. Five employees from our firm reside in Steuben, including the Project Manager and the Superintendent assigned to the job.

Tag: Judicial Construction

7 Upgrades in Newly Improved Courthouse