Courthouse Renovation Project

The Ouray County Courthouse was completed in December 1888 for the sum of $22,336. Before the Courthouse was deemed officially completed, an additional $13,000 was needed to install heating and furnishings. Most of the furnishings are still in use in the Courthouse, including desks, safes, and vaults. The Courthouse is listed as a National Historic Structure under the umbrella of the Ouray Historic District on the State of Colorado Registry (History Colorado).
The Ouray County Courthouse features richly decorative detailing common with Italianate, Romanesque, Queen Anne, and early Classical Revival architecture popular in the late 1800s.
The Courthouse has a rich and storied history, including being featured in the 1969 John Wayne Film "True Grit". In 2016, the Courthouse was profiled by the PBS docuseries "Colorado Experience: Courthouses." The Episode can be viewed here.

In November 2017, Ouray County voters approved a temporary .55% sales tax increase for the funding of the Ouray County Courthouse Restoration and Construction project.
During the summer of 2018, all Courthouse offices relocated to temporary locations. A general contractor, FCI Constructors, Inc, was hired through a request for proposal process, and worked to finalize building plans and pricing.
In January 2019, the Board of County Commissioners entered into a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Amendment for the project with FCI Constructors in an amount not to exceed $8,017,695.
Restoration and construction work began on February 1, 2019. A formal ground breaking ceremony was held on February 14, 2019.
Courthouse Offices were moved back into the Courthouse during April and May 2020.
The project was on-time, and on-budget.

Renovations and repairs include: foundation systems improvements; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems replacements; exterior site work; drainage mitigation and water damage repair; interior repair for all three levels including wood, windows, and doors cornice and cupola, exterior brick restoration; sidewalk and landscape improvements; enhanced ADA compliance, and west (main) entrance porch rebuild. Click here to view the Feasibility Study and Courthouse Master Plan.