JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After seven years of planning and number crunching, the city of Jacksonville is no closer to having a new courthouse than when the voters endorsed the idea in 2000.

With the bidding process starting all over again, the city has one thing to show for its effort so far -- some expensive courthouse drawings.

The company that was originally tabbed to build the courthouse drew up plans that cost more than $1 million.

However, that company is no longer the builder and the money has already been spent.

There have been several design ideas for the new Duval County Courthouse, from the original plan that was shot down for designing a building that was too big, to a simple plan that was also thrown out.

All along the way, taxpayers have been footing the bill for the different plans, including $1.2 million for a new set of plans from a builder the city has already let go.

The plans are not blue prints, but ideas of several options for the new building.

Channel 4's Jim Piggott asked city planners the million-dollar question -- is the stack of paper actually worth $1 million?

The city planners answered yes. They said the time and effort that went into the plans won't go to waste.

"This design package, this product, although it's in its early stages, is something we will build. As we would have if we hadn't made a change in the contractor," said the mayor's spokeswoman Susie Wiles.

That means the city will start with the most recent plans and move forward with a new building design.

That may sound familiar to Duval residents because it is similar to what they were told when the city scrapped the first design, for which taxpayers paid $8 million.

"We have been told by general counsel that we need to re-bid it. We will do that. We should not lose much time in the process, but meanwhile the work will go on," Wiles said.

Leaders still estimate the courthouse will be built by 2010.