Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday approved an $82 million project budget for improvements and an expansion of the downtown Judicial and Law Enforcement Center as well as a new Public Safety Building to be constructed next to the jail.
The JLEC project will create separate paths of travel for members of the public, staff members and people in custody of the Douglas County jail; locate the law library and clerk of the district court closer to the main entry; and provide for future expansion of the courts system.
In addition to Douglas County District Court, the JLEC building currently houses the district attorney’s office, emergency communications, emergency management, some sheriff’s office operations, information technology and building and maintenance staff.
The Public Safety Building will be nearly 26,000 square feet on county land near the jail. It will house emergency communications, emergency management and some sheriff’s office staff members, as well as the sheriff’s office’s evidence bay.
The PSB will also include shell space that will be constructed but not fully built out or furnished. That will allow for future flexibility. Both buildings will be equipped with solar panels.
Representatives of Treanor Architects and J.E. Dunn Construction on Wednesday presented the budget and final project details, including how parking at the JLEC will be affected amid the construction.
Parking at the JLEC will be limited by 40 to 60 spots, fluctuating over the course of the construction.
The county has arranged to lease parking from Trinity Lutheran Church, and the lot at the county-owned 1242 Massachusetts St. building will be restriped for staff use.
The JLEC parking lot will not be accessible from Massachusetts Street. Drivers will need to enter the lot from Rhode Island Street to the south entrance on East 12th Street.
Speaking of 1242 Massachusetts St., County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said, the county could start to look at whether it wants to keep that building in its portfolio going forward. The county will want the building for the parking during construction, she said.
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister was the only person to give public comment. He told commissioners one concern he has is ensuring they move the office’s evidence bay one time. Evidence will be moved to the PSB’s shell space.
The county is paying for the project with bonds that will be paid for within existing sales tax authority and cash on hand. The project won’t require a future tax increase.
Commissioner Patrick Kelly said this project is a big expense but “relatively reasonable.” He said the JLEC is 50 years old now, and if they get another 50 years out of this addition, “I think we should feel really good.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the project budget, and work at the JLEC is set to begin in mid-January.
Construction at the JLEC should be complete in summer of 2027, according to the contractors’ estimated timeline. Work will begin on the Public Safety Building, or PSB, in spring, and it should be ready for move-in in spring of 2026.
Here are budget breakdowns from the meeting agenda:
20241211-JLEC-PSB-budgetsCommission heading back downtown soon
In other business, Plinsky told commissioners they are on track — knock on wood — to be back in the historic Douglas County courthouse for their 2025 meetings.
The commission room has been under construction for water damage and a remodel to make room for two additional commissioners on the dais.
The commission will have one more meeting on Dec. 18 at the Public Works building, then return to the downtown courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., for the first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
They’ll be joined by the two newly elected commissioners, Gene Dorsey and Erica Anderson.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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