County’s new Justice Center progresses
Lack of space and security issues are key reasons why Le Sueur County has decided to go forward with the building of a new justice center.
Work on this new facility will begin in either late fall or early winter at a site located off Highway 99 in Le Center.
Preliminary costs for this 92,000 square foot project have been set at $36.8 million. Twenty-five percent the funds have already been raised.
Initial estimates were for a 60,000-square-foot facility. Due to an expansion of the jail area and the addition of a garage that will house all emergency vehicles, the facility has expanded 35,000 square feet.
According to County Administrator Darrell Pettis, talks started in 2015 when the County Board went thru a space needs planning process.
Every building in the facility was looked at except for the Parks Department.
Six options were initially explored for a new county building system. It has been more than 20 years since the addition was built on the current county courthouse.
It has been more than 25 years since the sheriff's department has been improved. The addition to the sheriff's department was not totally completed, leaving this department with a lack of space two years after it was improved.
See more in the print edition.
