County hires Nelson for highest‑and‑best use study of historic Nevada City Courthouse

The Board of Supervisors voted to contract with Nelson (NELCO Architecture Inc./Nelson Worldwide) to conduct a one‑year highest‑and‑best‑use study for the historic Nevada City Courthouse with an authorized contract amount of $295,000.

Assistant CEO Caleb Dardick and project lead David Crotty told the board that the state’s plan to relocate court operations creates a limited window to plan reuse and avoid a long‑term vacant building. Crotty outlined a four‑part process: project planning (reviewing the Judicial Council report and touring the facility), stakeholder and steering‑committee meetings, development and narrowing of reuse concepts to three options, and detailed evaluation of those options (including cost estimating, constructability and economic feasibility) before producing a final report.

Mayor Fernandez and Nevada City Manager Sean Grayson emphasized historic and economic priorities: any reuse should respect Nisenan territory and the building’s Art Moderne elements, and the project should aim to replace or match the courthouse’s approximate $6 million annual economic impact for downtown Nevada City or deliver equivalent community value such as housing.

Board members asked about the courthouse timeline and the state’s relocation schedule; consultants and staff said construction of the new courthouse is scheduled to begin after 2026 with move‑in potentially in 2030, and that Nelson’s cost estimator will escalate to midpoint of projected construction to reflect 2030 pricing.

Supervisors approved the contract on a roll call vote. Staff said the consultant will convene a steering committee, hold community focus groups, and produce a draft and final report early next year for use in outreach to developers and potential public‑private partnerships.