photo by: Contributed

The outside of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) with the renovations and addition.

Douglas County and representatives from an architecture firm hosted an open house for two construction projects – the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center renovation and addition and the development of a new building next to the county jail.

The community event began on the second floor of the JLEC, 111 E. 11th St., in the Division 4 courtroom with a presentation given by Douglas County, District Court staff and representatives from the Treanor architect firm. The county displayed several renderings and models of the proposed projects.

As the Journal-World reported, over the past year, Douglas County staff and the Board of County Commissioners collaborated with Treanor to develop design plans and estimate costs for upgrading the 911 services’ home base, enhancing the efficiency of the sheriff’s office and bolstering safety for county residents.

In May, the county commissioners authorized a plan to construct the 57,000-square-foot addition on the south side of the JLEC, renovate existing areas within the current building, and build the 25,965-square-foot “public safety building.”

The JLEC building – which houses the Seventh Judicial District Court, District Attorney’s office, emergency communications office, emergency management office, Sheriff’s Office, IT office, and building and maintenance staff – will have an addition to the south side of the original building to create space for more courtrooms, judge’s chambers, conference rooms and more.

According to a news release, it will also improve security by providing separate paths of travel for the public, people in custody and staff. There will be improvements to the public’s 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. Additionally, emergency services will be relocated to a storm-hardened shelter.

“This will create secure parking, a secure holding area in the lower level, and three levels of circulation for all staff to get into the building and be able to circulate throughout the building without having to cross paths with public or those in custody. And we have created a secure in-custody path as well to each of the courtroom spaces,” said Jeff Lane, representative from Treanor.

photo by: Contributed

The Judicial and Law Enforcement Center
(JLEC) with the addition to the building.

There are also plans to develop a new “public safety building” next to the Douglas County Jail that would serve as a headquarters for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 dispatch center and the county’s emergency management center. Lane said the opportunity to create this building with the addition to JLEC will make it easier for the sheriff’s operations to work collectively in both locations while creating more security.

photo by: Contributed

The construction plan for the new “public safety building” next to the Douglas County Jail, 3601 E 25th St.

The current JLEC building encompasses 100,369 square feet. Douglas County requires 157,183 square feet to meet current needs at the JLEC. This space is projected to increase to 185,185 square feet within five years and double over the next 20 years to 206,045 square feet.

The two plans are expected to go before the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission this month. The goal is to start construction on the JLEC in January or February 2025. Construction is expected to last between 18 to 24 months. The public safety building is expected to begin in the spring of 2025.