SARGENT, Texas — The Downtown Austin Municipal Court will soon have a new home in southeast Austin. After concerns with health, safety and space issues with the aging building, the long-awaited move is finally happening later this month.
The City of Austin is working to establish two new, permanent north and south court locations. While those locations are still being determined, a 10-year lease has been signed for Bergstrom Tech Center, 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 175, in southeast Austin as a temporary solution.
The 700 E. 7th Street location will close permanently on Wednesday, March 18. The future for that City-owned building has yet to be determined.
From March 19-20, court services will be closed to accommodate the move. The Jaime Padron Substation at 12425 Lamplight Village will also be closed on these dates.
The new location will open March 23 with the following hours:
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays.
From March 23 on, the Municipal Court will also open a new downtown office at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second Street, for those who wish to contest their civil parking violations. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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“It’s been a while coming but we’re very excited about the Court’s move to modern, more spacious and safer facilities,” said Municipal Court Clerk Mary Jane Grubb. “The new main location will be better for staff, jurors, witnesses and defendants, all of whom have had to put up with old and inadequate facilities for too long. The move will also give us time to find the best possible sites for the permanent north and south courts on the horizon.”
The new location will house the same functions and staff of the current main courthouse, and of the former south substation on Menchaca Road, as well as prosecutors and Austin Police Department court security officers. This amounts to about 160 staff members in total.
The additional space will also allow for a fifth courtroom, separate areas for jurors, witnesses and defendants, and space for attorneys to meet privately with their clients and/or defendants. The Bergstrom Tech Center location also has more than 220 parking spaces, an improvement from the limited parking available at the downtown location.
The City’s Municipal Court Department has been working on an awareness campaign to inform citizens of the move. The Court will be continuing its outreach, focusing on areas where individuals face transportation challenges.
In case citizens miss their court appearances by accidentally going to the wrong location, the Court will be working with stakeholders during and after the move.
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