Open house about Judicial and Law Enforcement Center renovation and addition project set for July 1

Douglas County and Treanor will host an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 1, about the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) renovation and addition project. The community event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a brief presentation on the second floor of the JLEC, 111 E. Eleventh St., in the Division 4 courtroom. 

After the presentation, Douglas County and District Court staff along with Treanor representatives will be available to visit with the public and answer questions about the project. There will be renderings and models of the proposed project for the public to view.

The building was constructed in 1974 and the last addition was completed 24 years ago in 2000. It houses the Seventh Judicial District, District Attorney’s Office, Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Sheriff’s Office, Information Technology, and Building and Maintenance staff.

County staff have been studying the space and security needs in the building for five years. During the past year, Douglas County staff and the Board of County Commissioners have been working with Treanor on design plans and estimated costs that would improve operational efficiency, improve security for all users and enhance technology availability.

The existing building has 100,369 square feet of space. According to a study, Douglas County needs 157,183 square feet of space to meet the current needs in the JLEC. That space is expected to grow to 185,185 square feet in five years and increase twofold in the next 20 years to 206,045 square feet.

This spring, the Board of County Commissioners approved a plan that would build a 57,000-square-foot addition on the south side of the JLEC and renovate areas in the current building as well as build a 25,965 square-foot Public Safety Building on land currently owned by Douglas County near the Douglas County Correctional Facility. The Public Safety Building will house Emergency Communications, Emergency Management and potentially some Sheriff’s Office staff.

Among highlights of the project:

• Improves security by providing separate paths of travel for the public, people in custody and staff to meet best practices for modern courthouses.
• Improves public access to court services such as the Clerk of the District Court and Douglas County Law Library by locating them closer to the main entry.
• Enhances public safety by relocating emergency services to a storm-hardened structure.
• Provides for future expansion of the courts system within the proposed footprint.

The total estimated cost for the project is $74 million. The project will not require a tax increase. It will be paid with bonds paid for within existing sales tax authority and cash on hand.

In May, Commissioners directed the design and construction team of Treanor and JE Dunn Construction to proceed into the design and development phase of the project. The project is scheduled to go before the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission in July. The goal is to start construction in January 2025.