Canandaigua, NY
ontario
county
courthouse
COMPLETED
Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation assisted Ontario County, NY, with planning and concept designs to improve courthouse operations. The fully occupied historic 1858 building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 but has seen a significant increase in use over the years, and the County needs to decide if the facility currently meets its needs.
The 5-story masonry and wood building is roughly 38,000 square feet. Surrounding the building is the county campus, which is made up of both private and public offices, some of which directly support the Court’s functions. The last expansion of the historic courthouse took place in 1908, and major renovations took place in both 1988 and again in 2017, when converted spaces such as the basement, storage areas, fourth floor, and the area directly beneath the dome were turned into additional offices and courtrooms.
While working within OCA standards, TRW worked with the County to develop a long-term strategy to house court support functions such as the County District Attorney, Public Defender, Conflict Defender, County Clerk, as well as other County officials, all within the judicial campus. A detailed existing conditions analysis of the existing buildings and interviews with project stakeholders were done to understand what the facility has, what works and doesn’t work, and what will be needed in the future. Concept level plans with cost estimates will be provided to help the county and its stakeholders come to the best conclusion on how to meet the growing needs of the historic courthouse.