Soft open projected for new Cape County courthouse in Jackson

The estimated $20 million Cape Girardeau County Courthouse is expected to host its first court sessions the week of May 18.

Six courtrooms will be in use when the facility is fully operational. Two of the courtrooms will be available for visiting judges.

“We expect the City of Jackson to issue an occupancy permit in the next few days,” County Commissioner Charlie Herbst said.

Assuming the permit is issued, 32nd Circuit Judge Benjamin F. Lewis is expected to move his offices into the new courthouse beginning next week and will hear his first cases the third full week of this month.

The courthouse, situated at North Missouri and West Washington streets, was scheduled to open April 1 but the debut was pushed back due to the COVID-19 epidemic, as the arrival and installation of some furnishings were delayed.

The facility features an underground parking facility and a secure, indoor passage connected to the existing county jail and justice center.

Currently, inmates are walked out-of-doors on a sidewalk to get from the lockup to a courtroom.

There is no announced date for a public open house of the new courthouse.

County voters approved a 1% use tax in April 2015 to pay for bonds to build the 82,000-square-foot facility.