Damage exceeds $35 million after last week's break-in at Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center

Repairs to the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center are estimated to exceed $35 million following a break-in on Jan. 2. Parts of the center will reopen on Jan. 16.

As a result of the fire that was lit on the seventh floor of the office building, fire sprinklers ran for two hours, leaving ankle-deep water on one floor and damaging the floors below, to the basement. Other damage resulted from fire extinguishing equipment, requiring significant water and materials mitigation. 

Smoke was also distributed throughout the entire building through the HVAC system and potential impacts are being assessed. Some levels of damage included the basement to the 7th floor with the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors having to be "substantially rebuilt from scratch." That will take up to a year to rebuild those floors. 

The least damaged floors will be occupiable by the beginning of March once a "substantial industrial hygienic cleaning" had been completed. 

"It is a disaster recovery site and not a workplace at the current moment," Vasconcellos said in a statement. "Our initial damage estimate is based on what we know so far. This will change, this is not based on a construction estimate…but based on the experts from risk (management), their experts from the insurance companies, the construction consultants that support the insurance companies we are looking at approximately $35 million. I imagine, as with most construction projects, that will change."

Vasconcellos said it's too early to tell if the damage to records will impact any cases. More will be known once the drying process is complete, about 3 weeks.   

The Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals arguments will take place as docketed on Jan. 16. The Learning Center will remain closed through January and the office tower will remain closed until further notice.  

The courthouse side of the Carr Center will reopen to the public via the 2 E. 14th Avenue entrance at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. All visitors will be asked to sign an entrance registry.     

Suspect Brandon Olsen appeared in court on Wednesday for an advisement. He is facing robbery, burglary and arson charges after an unusual crime spree at the judicial center. 

The Colorado Supreme Court made headlines late last year when it ruled that former President Donald Trump is disqualified from holding the presidency under the Constitution's so-called insurrection clause and ordered the secretary of state to exclude his name from the state's Republican presidential primary ballot. That decision has been appealed. Since the ruling some of the justices have received threats.

"All the information we have, we are very confident that this was a really random act and had nothing to do with the recent court cases we've had," Chief Justice Boatright said in a statement. "The gentleman just picked that building."      

The judge set a date for Olsen's next appearance in court, a preliminary hearing, for Jan. 30.