What you need to know about Johnson County Courthouse expansion proposal

The Johnson County Courthouse, at 417 S. Clinton St., in Iowa City, was dedicated June 8, 1901. The majestic Berea sandstone building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The courthouse once housed most county agencies, including the Auditor, Treasurer and Board of Supervisors, but now houses just the District Court, Clerk of Court and the County Attorney.

When the courthouse first opened, it had just one 200-seat courtroom. The building now has six courtrooms, including the original large courtroom on the third floor.

As courtrooms were added to the Johnson County Courthouse, offices, closets and breakrooms were downsized or eliminated.

Johnson County handled 31,000 cases in 2013, far more than other counties with similar space for hearings and storage, Clerk of Court Kim Montover said.

The courthouse has security weaknesses, including no good place for metal detectors and a hidden back stairway used by judges, visitors and inmates alike. Because the front entrance isn't handicap accessible, visitors in wheelchairs must enter from the back and can't access some parts of the building, such as witness stands and jury boxes.

Two bond issues for courthouse expansion have failed since 2012, mostly because those plans also included a larger jail.

Some opponents say the courthouse shouldn't be enlarged until the county has seriously considered additional justice reforms, such as not prosecuting for marijuana possession or public intoxication. Fewer people in the system would mean fewer hearings and less demand on limited space, they argue.

But opposition has decreased with the 2014 proposal, which does not include the jail.

2000 — Sixty-five percent of Johnson County voters rejected $19 million bond to build a 125,000-square-foot jail in November 2000. The 255-bed jail would have been built off Highway 218 and Melrose Avenue on the west side of Iowa City.

2012 — A $46.8 million Justice Center was defeated in November 2012, only getting 56 percent of the vote when 60 percent was needed. This proposal included 153,000 square feet with a 243-bed jail, six new courtrooms and additional court-related space connected to the back of the courthouse.

2013 — A scaled-back Justice Center, for $43.5 million, also failed, with only 54 percent in favor. The building would have included a 195-bed jail, four new courtrooms and other court-related space attached to the back of the historic courthouse.

Johnson County has proposed a $33.4 million bond issue to pay for 69,000 square feet in three levels behind the courthouse. The space would include six new courtrooms, offices for judges and court reporters, jury deliberation rooms, interview rooms, an enlarged Clerk of Court office and restrooms.

The county would close the front entrance on Clinton Street to create a single, secured entrance on the south side that is handicap accessible.

The bond, to be on the Nov. 4, ballot, needs 60 percent to pass.