Brevard County is looking to expand the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center, a courthouse serving the 18th Judicial Circuit of Brevard and Seminole counties.

The county plans to enlist the help of a contractor to devise the design for the proposed improvements, although the total cost of the project has yet to be determined.

The recent state budget has allocated $5.5 million for some of the work. County spokesman Don Walker told the Orlando Business Journal that a study will help the county figure out the scope of the project and how the county will proceed.

The push for expansion comes in response to a growing population in Brevard County, which has increased from 543,376 in 2010 to 606,612 in 2020, according to U.S. Census data.

Local officials have expressed that the current facility is unable to meet the needs of the rising population. A larger courthouse could mean a more efficient handling of cases, create job opportunities, and spur growth for contractors, vendors, and suppliers.

The expansion project is set to consider several factors, with the potential to phase improvements. Plans include additional jury room space, reduction or digitization of the courthouse’s law library, relocation of the clerk of court, and the consolidation of criminal court proceedings at the Moore Justice Center.

The county will also be assessing the feasibility of adding more courtrooms, including at least two courtrooms dedicated to juvenile cases or a larger jury courtroom. Another possibility is the relocation of the courthouse’s law library to the second floor of the Melbourne Courthouse.

Bids for the expansion project are due by August 18. More information can be obtained from the county’s website, under the bid number RFQ-6-23-11.

A complete study of the expansion is expected to be concluded in four months and will be reviewed by the county before any development plans are enacted.