The new Kent Family Court building is under construction in Dover
The new Kent County Family Court on Governors Avenue and Water Street in Dover is scheduled for completion in July 2026
- The new Kent County Family Court is similar in design to the Sussex County Family Court that opened in November.
- The 106,711-square-foot building is about three times the size of the current Kent Family Court with more courtrooms and enhanced security features.
- The estimated cost is $142 million.
A new Kent County Family Court in Dover is just months away from completion, with more space and more security features, and it might give some people a sense of déjà vu.
That’s because it’s similar to the Sussex County Family Court that opened in November in Georgetown.
“Both used the same basic layout and plans for efficiency in design and construction,” said Family Court Chief Judge Michael Newell. “Both buildings have the same number of courtrooms and similar safety features, though the exterior of each is different, tailored to each community.”
And the price tag is expected to be about the same, $142 million, all from state funds appropriated during then-governor John Carney’s administration.
“We designed both buildings at the same time, thereby reducing design costs,” Newell said.
However, inflation has affected the final price tag. The cost estimate at the time of the groundbreaking in Dover in 2022 was $117.7 million.
The project is scheduled for completion in July.
Why was a new Family Court needed?
The new Family Court is on Governors Avenue and Water Street, about two blocks west of the Kent County Courthouse on Water and Federal streets. The current Family Court is about five blocks east of the County Courthouse on Court Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“The main reasons for the new building are safety, space and dignity for everyone who uses the building,” Newell said.
Since the existing Family Court opened in 1989, the caseload has nearly doubled. So the number of people using the building has outgrown the cramped quarters, while the staff has seen the need to improve security.
Newell said the biggest concern is the lack of space between the plaintiff’s party and the defendant’s party in the waiting area and in the courtrooms. Cases can be emotional, particularly with domestic violence issues, and more space is needed to improve security and to help people feel safer.
The problems with the current building include:
- No public lobby before the security checkpoint
- Cramped security checkpoint
- Small waiting area outside courtrooms that does not allow sufficient separation for people before their case or allow for private conversations between litigants and their attorneys
- Small courtrooms with an average size of about 600 square feet
- No separate hallways or elevator for prisoner transfers, so detainees move through the same halls and elevator used by staff and judges
- Holding cells that are too close together, not allowing for meaningful separation of men from women or adults from children
“After opening the new Family Court building in Georgetown, we have been thrilled with the design, natural light coming into the building, more space for our employees and stakeholder agencies and the appropriately sized courtrooms to add dignity and calm for our litigants to address the serious and personal issues that are facing them,” said Newell. “I am confident that the new Family Court courthouse in Kent County will do the same for the people of Kent County.”
What does the new Family Court include?
The three-story building will be 106,711 square feet, about three times larger than the current 35,000-square-foot Family Court, allowing for more courtrooms, a bigger lobby, a better security checkpoint, larger holding areas and more workspace for court staff and others using the building.
With eight courtrooms compared to six in the current building, the new design plan leaves space for a possible two-courtroom expansion.
The average size of the new courtrooms is between 1,400 and 1,800 square feet, compared to about 600 square feet in the current building.
Also included in the project is a 378-car parking garage with a secured level for court officials.
New Family Court to help with downtown Dover revitalization
The new building also has changed what had been a designated a “brownfield” site by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Environmental Protection Agency because of soil contamination. Most of the property was vacant businesses and older homes in need of repairs.
Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen said the new Family Court is another “anchor for the revitalization of downtown Dover,” and the public areas of the parking garage will be available to people shopping or attending events.
“During the construction several businesses have already seen an increase in business which should continue with the opening of the courthouse and the beginning of a massive construction at Bayhealth,” he said.
Bayhealth is planning to build additions at the hospital campus on Governors Avenue just south of the new Family Court.
As for what will happen to the current Family Court building, the decision will come from the Division of Facilities Management, Judge Newell said.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.
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