KENT COUNTY, Del.- A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday, Sept. 22 in Dover on the site of what will be the new Kent County Family Courthouse.
The new courthouse will be located on the corner of S. Governors Ave and Water Street.
Delaware Family Court Chief Judge Michael K. Newell said it was exciting to be at the ceremony in Dover just about three months after the groundbreaking of the court's new Sussex County courthouse.
"This is a historic day for the City of Dover, Kent County and the State of Delaware and it is another historic day for the Judicial Branch and especially the Family Court of the State of Delaware," said Chief Judge Newell.
The new $117.7 million 3-story Kent County Family Court will replace an outdated building at 400 Court Street in Dover that was built in 1989.
A feasibility study conducted in 2015 showed the old courthouse to be inadequate.
Delaware's Family Court commonly handles emotional conflicts such as domestic violence, child abuse, and divorce. This being one reason why the new building is needed.
The courthouse will be nearly three times the size of the existing building and will allow the Family Court to better handle the volume of cases in Kent County.
The new facility will include architectural details that reference the surrounding historic district.
Construction is expected to begin this winter and be completed in late 2025.