New Des Moines U.S. Courthouse

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
In 2016, Congress appropriated funding for the construction of a new 230,000-gross-square-foot federal courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa, for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Anticipated to achieve LEED Gold certification, the new courthouse will provide nine courtrooms, offices, and workspace for: The Southern District of Iowa Judiciary, Southern District of Iowa Bankruptcy, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, including a satellite library, GSA building management space, trial preparation space for the Federal Public Defenders and the U.S. Attorneys.
Current Status
GSA’s working to build the new federal courthouse in Des Moines, with completion of the exterior components attained in November.

Project details
Total authorized funding: $140,602,000 for site acquisition, design, construction, and related expenses
Project delivery method: Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc)
Lead design architect: Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects
Project Schedule:
- Construction completion: September 2023
- Occupancy: late 2023/early 2024
Awarded contracts
- Jacobs Technology (Construction Manager as Agent)
- Neumann Monson Architects (Design Architect of Record)
- Ryan Companies US, Inc. (Construction Manager as Constructor, CMc)
Final Environmental Assessment [PDF - 10 MB] (August 2018)
News releases
2022
- GSA is building a new U.S. Courthouse in Iowa with sustainability in mind
- GSA selects Des Moines U.S. Courthouse project artist for the Art in Architecture commission [PDF]
2021
2019
- Groundbreaking marks start of construction on new courthouse
- GSA releases approved design concept of new Des Moines U.S. Courthouse
2018
- GSA executes contract to purchase property for new Des Moines federal courthouse
- GSA awards design phase services contract for new federal courthouse
- GSA publishes Final Environmental Assessment for new federal courthouse
2017
- GSA announces next steps toward identifying site for new federal courthouse
- GSA announces preferred site, public comment period for new Des Moines courthouse
- Courthouse Environmental Assessment nears completion
- GSA announces list of sites for new Des Moines federal courthouse
2016
- GSA announces Congressional authorization of Des Moines courthouse
- GSA seeks Expressions of Interest
- New Federal courthouse coming to Des Moines
- GSA announces $947 million courthouse investment plan
2015
Media Inquiries
Matthew Doyle
Public Affairs Officer
matthew.doyle@gsa.gov
816-316-6124
The shortcut to this page is: gsa.gov/desmoinescourthouse.