Plans for a new county courthouse in Kalamazoo took a step forward this week as the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize contracts be awarded for the nearly $95 million project.

CSM Group is managing the project. The building was designed by Tower Pinkster/HOK.

The design for the new court facility will include several unique elements, including a central light well to bring in natural light. The building will also feature a roof specially designed to help regulate solar heat, which county officials say aligns with a larger goal of being good stewards to the environment.

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize Construction Manager CSM to move forward with awarding contracts for the county’s nearly $95 million Justice Center project.

“The awarding of these contracts marks another significant step in the process toward construction of our new Justice Facility — which will create jobs, streamline the county’s criminal justice system and overall save taxpayers money,” Kalamazoo County administrator Tracie Moored said. “I want to thank everyone involved in the collaboration and construction of our Justice Facility, including our employees who have worked so hard to get us to this point, Jerry VanderVeen, our Owners Representative, the Construction Manager CSM, and Tower Pinkster/HOK for their hard work, commitment and dedication to this project.”

The ribbon-cutting was held Friday morning for the massive facility. It sits on the site of old barracks for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The facility can house 128 veterans, and in some cases their families. It’s the first and only veterans’ home in Metro Detroit.

The facility is 152 thousand square feet and has 128 rooms. Jennifer Manning, the building’s administrator, said it was designed so it doesn’t feel like a nursing home.