Inside Brazos County’s multi-million dollar building boom

Brazos County is simultaneously reshaping how it delivers government services through three major capital projects worth millions. These are investments county leaders say are designed to accommodate rapid growth, modernize aging facilities and relieve a building that has long outgrown its original purpose.

Assessing the need

The county’s first Medical Examiner’s Office, a $35 million facility, is expected to be operating this fall after reaching substantial completion in June. Once fully operational, the office will end the county’s longstanding reliance on Travis County for autopsies, which keeps death investigations local and reduces delays for families.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the major renovation of the county’s administrative building and ground broke on the all-new courthouse annex in April.

Together, the three projects total $124.5 million in investment and represent the county’s largest wave of public construction in nearly 20 years, as said by county officials.

“We have this accordion effect that we use around our growth,” Brazos County Project Manager Trevor Lansdown told Community Impact in a one-on-one interview. “We do everything that we can until we’re just busting at the seams with people, and then we bite off a set of projects to help relieve that tension in all of our departments.”

Lansdown said years of conservative budgeting, combined with federal pandemic relief dollars for the medical examiner project, created an opportunity to tackle long-delayed infrastructure needs before costs climb even higher.

“The Medical Examiner’s Office, Courthouse Annex, and renovations to the Administration building are all projects that will enable County employees to work more efficiently and effectively for the public. And, with the constantly rising cost of construction, there is no point in delaying some of these projects and simply waiting until costs would be even higher,” Brazos County Judge Duane Peters told Community Impact in a written statement.

About the Medical Examiner’s Office project

At 99% complete, with only punch-list work remaining before final inspections as of July 7, the county’s first medical examiner’s office is expected to be operational in September. A ribbon-cutting and public open house is scheduled for Aug. 19 and 29.

Historically, Brazos County has taken roughly 150 bodies each year to Travis County for forensic autopsies. At a March 10 commissioners court meeting, it was revealed that the county sent 160 death investigations to Travis County in one year. Officials predict about 300 investigations in a full year with a Brazos County medical examiner.

Outsourcing adds transportation costs, delays investigations and often forces grieving families to wait longer for answers.

The new facility changes that.

Director of Forensic Services and future Brazos County Medical Examiner Dr. Jennifer Dierksen said the office will allow bodies to remain in the county while providing faster turnaround times for death investigations and certificates. The office also creates opportunities for partnerships with Texas A&M University, including medical student rotations and future forensic pathology training.

Construction has remained slightly under budget, Lansdown said, despite foundation challenges. He said the project is expected to finish with a deductive change order that could reduce the final cost by as much as $1 million.

“The stars kind of aligned with the funding, the need [and] support from both cities, the university and the county,” Lansdown said. “It was kind of a no-brainer.”

The quick breakdown:

• $35 million budget
• 99% complete
• Operational by September 2026
• 3037 E. 29th St., Bryan

A closer look

Dierksen said the new office won’t necessarily perform more autopsies, but it will allow more cases to receive the level of forensic review they already need.

Many deaths, she said, require only an external examination rather than a full autopsy, while others that may not have been referred under the current system could soon receive additional medical review.

The county says the benefits extend beyond convenience.

The current system costs roughly $5,800 per case when transportation and Travis County’s autopsy fees are combined. Performing examinations locally is expected to reduce costs to roughly $3,500, while also speeding up investigations.

The 21,000 square-foot building was inspired by Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office, Lansdown said, and designed with growth in mind. It includes:

• Three autopsy stations
• Full body digital x-ray capable of scanning remains in 15 seconds
• Specialized ventilation for decomposed remains
• Evidence viewing areas for investigators
• Dedicated teaching space

An educational component was especially thought out. Diereksen, a Texas A&M graduate, said her long-term goal for the office is to establish a forensic pathology fellowship.

“There’s not enough forensic pathologists in this country, so hopefully we’ll also have to train them here, too, in the future,” she said.

She also said she hopes the open house in August will help build public trust, explain the investigation process and remove fear of autopsies.

“My job’s not really scary,” Diereksen said.

About the courthouse annex project

While the medical examiner’s office is substantially finished, the county’s largest project is just the beginning.

Construction on the $71 million courthouse annex is about 5% complete, with crews currently building the foundation of what will become a four-story courthouse addition and a 318-space parking garage. It is being built at the site of the former Bryan ISD administration building.

The annex is expected to house court-related departments, including jury services, probation, public defender offices and additional courtroom space, while making room for future growth.

Lansdown said the building is intended to create a true judicial campus, bringing court functions together that are currently scattered across downtown Bryan.

The next major milestone will come next year when crews construct the skybridge connecting the annex to the existing courthouse. That work will require a full closure of the Texas Avenue and William J. Bryan Parkway intersection for roughly 12 weeks. Lansdown said a public information campaign will begin this fall to prepare residents for the significant traffic impacts next winter.

The quick breakdown:

• $71 million budget
• 5% complete
• To be completed April 2028
• 101 N. Texas Ave., Bryan

About the admin building remodel project

Across the street, construction crews are roughly 35% complete on an extensive renovation of the county administration building.

The $18.5 million project is converting previously unused portions of the former church into expanded office space while replacing an aging exterior that had allowed years of water intrusion.

Among the largest changes, said Lansdown, is the construction of a new commissioners courtroom with seating for about 100 people. It will replace a space Lansdown said no longer accommodates growing public attendance.

The renovation also creates a new human resources suite, additional project management space and expands offices for the county’s budget and auditor departments.

Lansdown said remodeling existing buildings can be less expensive than constructing new facilities, but it also carries uncertainty because hidden structural problems often aren’t discovered until work begins.

One of the project’s largest expenses has been replacing the building’s exterior envelope after forensic testing found the decades-old structure lacked modern waterproofing systems. That work alone accounts for roughly $8 million of the project cost.

“If we’re going to invest the money, let’s do it the right way,” Lansdown said. “We’re going to be in this building for the next 50 years.”

The project was originally estimated at about $18 million, but the winning construction bid came in at roughly $15 million. Even after change orders, the contract sits at $15.8 million, and Lansdown said contingency funds have seen limited use.

Beginning mid-September will require a single-lane closure along Texas Avenue for about 10 weeks as crews continue exterior work.

The quick breakdown:

• $18.5 million budget
• 35% complete
• To be completed April 2027
• 200 S. Texas Ave., Bryan

Next steps

Even with $124.5 million already under construction, county officials say they’re keeping an eye on future needs.

A feasibility study for an eventual jail expansion is expected to begin in the next fiscal year, although Lansdown said any major construction remains up to 10 years away. Smaller projects, including improvements to county road and bridge facilities and potential expansion of the Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace building are also under consideration.

As Brazos County continues to grow, Lansdown said the goal is to invest before facilities become obsolete rather than waiting until buildings reach a breaking point.

“We have to keep up if we want to continue providing the same level of service,” he said.