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Former Jackson County Presiding Judge David M. Byrn discusses the courthouse renovations with current Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs on the courthouse’s sixth floor on Jan. 26. Photo by Jessica Shumaker. Hover over or tap the left or right edges to navigate the slideshow or to see photo captions.
For the judges and staff of the Jackson County Circuit Court, the end of renovations at the downtown Kansas City courthouse has been a long time coming.
In early 2019, the court experienced back-to-back pipe bursts and flooding, which took five courtrooms and half of the building’s elevators out of commission. Since then, the court has had to shift its people and jury trials elsewhere — a complicated task at times for former Presiding Judge David M. Byrn.
“They’ve basically been nomads for two years,” Byrn said. “It’s been difficult, not only for finding space for judges and staff, but for jury trials.”
Work crews now are entering the final phase of renovations and are expected to complete the work in the next few weeks, wrapping up a project that involved multiple phases and cost nearly $18 million.
Byrn, who worked closely with Jackson County officials to oversee the project, and current Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs accompanied Missouri Lawyers Media on a tour highlighting the renovations.
The work included typical items: new coats of paint, new light fixtures and new flooring in the hallways of the fourth, fifth and sixth floors — most damaged by flooding — and in courtrooms and offices.
The court installed new courtroom lighting fixtures in a style that complements the historical period of the building. Recessed lighting also has been added in courtrooms and hallways.
Byrn and Youngs noted that deep cleaning during the renovation revealed brilliant brass fixtures previously hidden for decades under grime. It also revealed such quirks as the pairings of brass door handles with chrome door hinges throughout the building. Those were discovered during a recent walk-through to survey the renovations, Byrn said.
“Just part of the idiosyncrasies of the building, I guess,” he said.
The court also took the opportunity to make accessibility upgrades to align with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. On each of the floors affected by flooding, there is now a unisex restroom accessible to people with disabilities.
Before the renovations, women’s restrooms were located only on the mezzanine floor. Women lawyers, jurors or other courthouse visitors who needed to use those restrooms but couldn’t use stairs had to wait for an elevator, Byrn noted.
The Division 4 and 14 courtrooms also received several upgrades providing greater accessibility.
Those entering the gallery spaces of those courtrooms will notice wider entrances, allowing for greater wheelchair access, as well as jury boxes and witness stands that have been lowered to eliminate steps. Witnesses or jurors still must navigate steps to access both in other courtrooms.
“It is not a fully ADA-compliant courtroom because of the bench, but everything else is ADA-accessible,” Byrn said.
The court also installed a new wheelchair lift in a hallway that connects the two divisions. It will enable all jurors to access the jury deliberation rooms, which are located up a narrow, winding staircase.
Jury deliberation areas for each of the five newly renovated courtrooms also got a revamp, from new restrooms to new kitchen areas — each with a sink, a mini-fridge and microwave for jurors.
After completing the work in the courtrooms and offices, the court will turn its attention to the elevators. Byrn said they are on track to be fully operational in mid-March.
The new elevators are so-called destination elevators, which are intended to be more efficient, Byrn said. While waiting for an elevator car, riders first select their destination floor. The system then assigns them to specific elevator cars.
Youngs, who is picking up the torch from Byrn in seeing the work to completion, said he’ll seek the county’s help to preserve the building’s burnished appearance.
“It’s such a beautiful building,” he said. “To me, every citizen of Jackson County that comes in here would be proud [to come here for court business] . . . it’s important to maintain it and keep it clean.”
