Thanks to Steve Lorentzen, the administrator of the Bureau of Court Facilities, for the update and photos!

• Merrimack Courthouse - Exterior work for the new, 24,000 square foot Merrimack Courthouse is nearly complete, including base coat paving of the renovated parking area in the town hall complex. Painting and finish trim work has begun inside the building. The Family Division and District Court will occupy the building; a move date of May 2010 is tentatively scheduled. The courthouse will have four courtrooms, one in the basement, one on the first floor, and two on the second floor. Each courtroom has one or more conference rooms.

• Hillsborough County Courthouse, South - Building renovations needed to handle the move of Hillsborough County Superior Court - North staff to Nashua is nearing completion. Staff are moving the week of December 28th. Renovations on the first floor include the creation of new counter space for Manchester activities and new clerical space. The hallway leading to the jury assembly room on the second floor was changed to support the use of the space as a courtroom on non-jury assembly days. Construction is also in-process in the basement for another large detainee cell.

• Manchester Family Division - Renovations were completed on the first floor of the Manchester Courthouse (formerly known as the Manchester District Court) to house the Manchester Family Division; the division was up and running in their new space in November 2009. There are two new courtrooms, office space for approximately 18 staff, several conference rooms, and a mediation room. On the second floor, a new arraignment courtroom was constructed. The fit-up work added approximately 11,200 square feet of finished space.

• Berlin Courthouse - The newly constructed, 9,780 square foot Berlin Courthouse will open in January 2010. The State of New Hampshire has entered in to a long-term lease of this facility. The new courthouse is on the first floor; the Bureau of Court Facilities will be renting an additional, 2,900 square feet of space on the North end of the first floor to the Department of Education's Vocational Rehab group. The new courthouse has two courtrooms, one for the Family Division and one for District Court, with ample clerical space and conference rooms. The Department of Health and Human Services occupies the second floor.