Correction: This article has been amended to correct Kristin Bays' title. She was previously referred to as the judge for County Court at Law 2

Three years after Montgomery County approved its vendor for its facilities master plan, county commissioners heard an update about possible expansion in downtown Conroe at an April 12 commissioners court meeting.

The decision to approve the plan was made in March 2019 for a cost of $35,000, according to past court minutes.

Houston-based architecture firm PGAL, represented by its principal Paul Bonnette, delivered a presentation showing possible expansions for facilities in downtown Conroe and elsewhere in Montgomery County. PGAL previously worked with the county on projects, including a substation for the sheriff’s office and the Spring Creek Greenway in 2018, according to county minutes.

“This is how the county can keep up with population growth and growth in county staff,” Bonette said.



The buildings involved in the master plan include those listed below.

  • The Alan B. Sadler Commissioners Courthouse at 501 N. Thompson St., home to commissioners court and county facilities
  • The county tax office at 400 N. San Jacinto St.
  • The Atrium Building at 210 W. Davis St., home to County Court at Law No. 1 and County Court at Law No. 2
  • The James H. Keeshan Building at 301 N. Thompson St., home to the county law library and the office of the Second Administrative Judicial Region of Texas
  • The Lee G. Allworth Building at 207 W. Phillips St., home to the county district attorney’s office as well as the 9th District Court
  • Montgomery County Jail No. 1 at 1 Criminal Justice Drive. According to PGAL, work on this building is being done together with a consultant studying the county jail.
  • The county courthouse at 301 N. Main St.
  • A forensic facility set to be constructed this summer
  • Two separate parking garages


Expansions on county-owned property

Bonnette’s presentation highlighted the Sadler building as a primary target for expansion. The site was built in 2010.

In addition to the commissioners court and offices for the commissioners and judge, the Sadler building also houses offices of the county auditor, county budget officer, county attorney and county treasurer.


Proposed expansion would move to the adjacent parcel, noted as 521 N. Thompson St. in the Montgomery County Appraisal District’s map. The county bought the property, which consists of a parking lot as well as the Montgomery County Wellness Clinic, from the city of Conroe in 2005.

Bonette said county priorities, including law enforcement, would remain PGAL's priorities.

"I know that's in the forefront of your minds, and talking to [involved parties], we want to make sure when they move into new buildings, there's potential for growth," Bonette said.

Two further adjacent parcels on West Phillips Street could also be targets for expansion, Bonnette said.


Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said the county’s securing of property was “a good job,” but that another 100,000 square feet might be needed for a new county tax office, while the existing tax office could be a storage facility.

“We have the ability, as Montgomery County, to grow far past our tenure here,” Noack said. “At some point, we’re going to be in the spot of needing to build something downtown.”

Plans for courthouse

In a separate item on the April 12 agenda, County Judge Mark Keough also brought up the county’s new Court at Law No. 6. The court was created in 2021 after court at law judges had brought up issues of case overloads to commissioners court, and it is intended to begin taking cases in 2023.


According to Keough, the new court was intended to be in the Keshan Building. Keough, who also serves on the county board of judges—which oversees judicial operations in the county—said the judges’ concerns were space and security. Keough proposed having PGAL look at possible configurations of the new courthouse before Jan. 1, 2023.

Kristin Bays, presiding judge of the 284th District Court, who was present in the audience, said getting space for the new court was “mission critical.” However, she said there was no particular resolution at the time of the meeting.

“We certainly need the help CCL 6 can provide, and putting it in the Keshan Building away from the other courts is not a great solution,” Bays said.

Commissioners did not take an action on County Court at Law No. 6.