Douglas County judicial center addition nears July completion milestone

Douglas County’s $81.9 million judicial center expansion is moving toward a mid-July finish, a milestone that could ease court congestion, improve security and reshape how residents move through the county’s justice system.

The addition to the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center will add 158,075 square feet to the south side of the existing building and is expected to bring six new courtrooms, judges’ chambers, District Court office space and new holding areas for people in custody who are appearing in court. County officials say services should begin moving into the new space by late July or early August, with renovation work then starting inside the current building.

That next phase will matter just as much for the public. The county plans to convert the existing JLEC into a more modern, easier-to-navigate courthouse space with three updated courtrooms, reconfigured offices, a new lobby and renovated restrooms. The Clerk of the District Court and the Douglas County Law Library will be moved closer to the main entrance, a change meant to improve access for people coming in for filings, hearings and research.

The project is also a test of whether the county can deliver a major public investment without shifting the bill to taxpayers. Douglas County commissioners approved the full package on Dec. 11, 2024, setting the total at $81,982,074. Of that, $52,509,198 was assigned to the JLEC work and $18,990,584 to the Public Safety Building. The county says the project is being paid for with bonds backed by existing sales tax authority and cash on hand, so no tax increase was required. Commissioner Patrick Kelly called it, “This is a big number...”

For county residents, the payoff is supposed to be more than new brick and steel. Douglas County says the current JLEC, built in 1974 with its last addition completed in 2000, houses the Seventh Judicial District’s nine judges along with the District Attorney’s Office, Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, the Sheriff’s Office, Information Technology and Building and Maintenance staff. The county has said the redesign will create separate routes for the public, people in custody and employees, a standard courthouse safety practice that should reduce bottlenecks and security risks.

The broader campus plan also includes the Public Safety Building next to the Douglas County Correctional Facility at 3601 E. 25th St. That building will house Emergency Communications and Emergency Management in a storm-hardened basement level and the Sheriff’s Office on the main level, with ground-mounted solar panels at the site. County officials have said parking near the JLEC will remain limited during construction, especially during jury trials, and that a new lot between the JLEC and the courthouse was among the approved extras. With the county’s biggest capital project nearing the finish line, the real measure will be whether court access is faster, jail processing is smoother and the older facility finally matches the demands placed on it.