TYLER, Texas — Smith County broke ground on the new Smith County Courthouse on Thursday.
The new courthouse comes from a $179 million bond approved by voters in Nov. 2022. Crews could be seen in Downtown Tyler this month performing demolition to make space for the new courthouse.
It will replace the current courthouse, which has been standing downtown since the 1950s. The new courthouse, officials say, will contribute to creating a cohesive downtown campus for better accessibility to services, preservation of history, mental health promotion and employee retention.
Construction on the new courthouse is expected to begin in October and to be completed by fall 2026.
PHOTOS: Smith County breaks ground on new courthouse
Smith County also approved a $19 million bond to construct a new parking garage downtown, which broke ground in October 2023. It is estimated to have 540 parking spaces that will accommodate Smith County employees, jurors and people visiting downtown.