Municipal Courthouse Project

The design of the replacement Municipal Courthouse is now complete. On June 11, 2025, we held a community groundbreaking event to celebrate the start of construction on the new Municipal Courthouse in Historic Westminster. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

Pre-Construction Open House

The Municipal Courthouse Project team held a pre-construction open house on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Attendees had the opportunity to view the final design of the new courthouse and learn what to expect during construction. 

If you weren't able to attend the open house, please visit our virtual open house at westminstermunicipalcourtproject.com. 

About the Project

The City is replacing the Municipal Courthouse building on Turnpike Drive. The current courthouse is more than 60 years old. Originally constructed as two smaller buildings, which served as City Hall and the police station, the two buildings were merged to form the existing facility over multiple renovations and additions.  

Because it wasn't purpose-built as a courthouse, the Court faces many challenges in its daily operations. It lacks standard safety and security features for modern courthouses, and accessibility is inadequate because most of the buildings were constructed before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. 

The new courthouse and a new Community Reach Center building will be built on the existing courthouse’s parking lot, which will allow the courthouse to remain fully operational during the anticipated two years of construction. 

The City worked closely with neighbors and community members throughout the design process to ensure the courthouse campus reflects community priorities. In addition to a more safe, secure, and accessible courthouse, the site will feature a new park and playground for the community.  

A Municipal Court study was conducted in 2022 to evaluate the building and determine the improvements needed to bring the building up to modern safety, security, and ADA standards, while also meeting the operational needs of the court.

At the December 12, 2022 City Council Pre/Post Briefing Meeting, Westminster City Council received a briefing on the study and was presented with three options for the future of the court:

• Continue to operate the Municipal Court as-is
• Begin design of a major renovation to the courthouse
• Begin design of a new purpose-built courthouse

Based on the information presented from the study, City Council gave staff direction to move forward with the design of a new building. In November 2023, the city selected an architectural team to design the new courthouse. 

In February 2024, the project team convened a community advisory team (CAT) of nearby neighbors, residents, and community leaders. The CAT has been advising the project team on the aesthetics, appearance, and community amenities of the new building and surrounding site. This ensures that the community is informed and has a voice in the building design.  

In addition to the CAT, the City held two open houses in May and October 2024 for the greater community to learn about the project and provide feedback on the building’s design.

Design reached 100% completion in spring 2025, and construction is expected to begin in summer 2025.

The new Court is anticipated to be designed on the existing courthouse site.

Current Municipal Court address:
Westminster Municipal Court
3030 Turnpike Drive
Westminster, CO 80030

• The Municipal Court was originally constructed as two separate buildings in 1961 - City Hall and the police station.
• In 1972 an addition was constructed to the north of City Hall, which also included a courtyard between City Hall and the addition.
• In 1974 an infill project converted the courtyard between City Hall and the Municipal Center into additional interior offices.
• In 1991 an addition connected the Municipal Building to the police station, and the entire building was repurposed for its current use as a Municipal Court. Holding cells were also added to the basement during this period.