Renderings of the proposed Monroe County Justice Center are out along with a timeline for completion.
The 134-page schematic design phase presentation includes a site layout plan, cost estimates and more.
Indianapolis-based DLZ architects plan to submit plan to county council for review and approval Friday.
The proposed justice center would be built on a 56-acre site at North Park – the southeast corner of State Road 46 and Hunter Valley Road northwest of Bloomington. It would house county courts, probation and community corrections, clerk, prosecutor, and public defender.
Commissioner Julie Thomas said the design geographically ties county buildings together.
“So we’re going to kinda mimic the dome of this courthouse over there and it will be everything on one floor except for judge's offices will be on the second floor,” she said.
Read more: Prisoners moved to courtrooms as Justice Center closed again for mold removal
The base plan includes 404 inmate beds with more than 237,000 square feet of office space – or a little more than four football fields. Alternate plans add 96 more beds and an inmate release and discharge resource center at about 1,800 square feet.
The total cost of the project is $224,500,118. Alternate plans would add about $6 million.
Thomas said the size of the facility is based on two studies.
“Whatever bed count you see, it’s actually 80 percent of that. And that’s a maximum; that’s not a starting point. We are not going to be in a situation we’re in now with an overcrowded facility,” Thomas said.
The site allows for 180 surface public parking spaces and 460 for staff.
The bonding process would start in January, with construction to begin in October of 2026. Completion is projected to be June of 2029.
The county council meets at a special work session Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the county courthouse.
