“Our citizens and the public need
to know that this was a needed
expansion, and we’re going to be
better able to serve the community
by doing what we did,” he said.
Conditions ‘greatly
improved’
While even more improvements
could’ve been made if not for the
space constraints, County staff realize
the facility is “greatly improved”
from what it was before, said Kyle
Deno, county clerk/administrative
coordinator.
“Having that second courtroom is just
amazing to be able to have,” Deno
said. “The security end of things has
really changed. Our people should
feel a whole lot more secure.”
Project manager Raivo Balciunas said
Ayres takes pride in giving the County
a practical, cost-effective addition to
its courthouse.
“It was a complicated project, but it
went smoothly. Together, we found
a functional solution that really met
their needs,” said Balciunas, who
attended an open house unveiling of
the completed addition last fall and
heard positive feedback from other
attendees. “Folks in Jackson County
are proud of that courthouse.”
Deno, for one, can vouch for that.
“We are very happy,” she said. “And
Ayres certainly was a big part of that.”
Kutcher agreed.
“Everybody communicated quite
well, and that was the key to what I
would say is a successful project,” he
said.
AUDIOVISUAL
ADD-ONS
Ayres Associates’ courtroom
design included plans for a
multitude of monitors and cameras
to allow the judge, jurors, and public
to view evidence presented during
trials. While a separate vendor
designed the audiovisual system,
Ayres helped coordinate the effort
and designed the jury box and
judge’s bench to accommodate
these items.
“Adding the cameras and
videoconferencing has been just
such a positive addition,” said
Kyle Deno, Jackson County clerk/
administrative coordinator.
– Jennifer Schmidt
AyresAssociates.com
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