Renderings courtesy of Montgomery County

Thompson & Litton, an engineering and architectural firm, has been working with Montgomery County since being commissioned by the board of supervisors to provide preliminary designs for the new courthouse in 2006.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Architects have unveiled design plans for the new Montgomery County Courthouse as they continue aiming for a 2011 completion date.

At the last Christiansburg Town Council meeting, Jack Murphy, project manager and associate at Thompson & Litton engineering and architectural firm, gave a slideshow presentation to council with floor plans, aerial site plans and a three-dimensional rendering of what the new building and parking garage could look like once they're constructed.

The firm has been working with Montgomery County since being commissioned by the board of supervisors to provide preliminary designs in 2006. The county has been talking about the need for more courtroom space since 1998.

Having already consulted with Town Manager Lance Terpenny about zoning requirements, Murphy sought the council's input on the design, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

The master plan for the courthouse splits construction into two phases. Phase one focuses on the building the courthouse and parking structure, while the second phase would convert the existing courthouse into a public safety building, housing Sheriff Tommy Whitt and his staff.

Murphy said phase one is the main priority for now.

"The second phase is still under discussion and consideration. We are taking into consideration measures necessary for some of the infrastructure for phase two, but it's not an approved project yet," he said.

Plans for the new courthouse call for a 98,500-square-foot facility to be built adjacent to Pepper Street in Christiansburg, on the same block as the existing courthouse.

A 137-space, two-story parking structure would also be built during phase one, along with an underground tunnel to provide a secure way to transport inmates from the Montgomery County Jail to the facility.

Murphy said the estimated cost of the new courthouse and parking facility is $27 million.

The current schedule for the project is to advertise for bids by late spring, with a two-year construction time frame for the courthouse and parking structure.

The county is expected to issue $130 million in bonds over a five-year period to pay for the courthouse project and new schools, beginning with $45 million in 2009.