Council accepts Executive and Superior Court recommendations on Juvenile Court facilities plan

May 10, 2010

Summary

Phased approach focused on fiscally prudent construction plan

Story

Construction of a new juvenile youth facility reached a milestone with today’s adoption by the Metropolitan King County Council of a motion accepting recommendations for phased construction of a new facility. The approach will allow for the construction of a new facility with a focus on the County’s bottom line.

“The current facility is in a serious state of disrepair,” said Council Chair Bob Ferguson. “With the plan in place to keep costs down, it is now time to move forward on replacing the youth services center.”

The County’s Youth Services Center, located on 12th and Alder, houses the County’s youth detention facility along with some juvenile and family court services. The aging facility has been recommended for replacement because of its dilapidated condition. Sections of the facility are roughly 40 years old and have significant major maintenance needs, including more than of $20 million in deferred maintenance alone.

Stakeholder groups met with the County over the last two years about how to replace the facility and what services should be located in a new youth services center. A facilities master plan with several options was created out of the conversations with the stakeholders.

Last December, the Council adopted legislation supporting the option to replace the youth center with a facility that will allow for the consolidation of the majority of youth and family court services. The Council called on the Executive and the Superior Court to review the facility’s proposed size to reduce capital and operational costs. Today’s motion accepts the recommendations made by the Executive and Court after reviewing the original proposal.

The recommendations include a phased construction approach that will allow for the consolidation of many services into one facility, but also requires a smaller initial capital investment. The goal of the first phase will be the construction of 9 courtrooms and 167,000 square feet of facility space. The second phase will include an additional 5 to 7 courtrooms and allow for the co-location of family law cases involving children and accommodate future growth as needed.