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Wake County will build a new Justice Center to help meet the growing needs of the court system and other public services. Construction will begin in Raleigh in 2009 (Construction Schedule). The Center is expected to be ready for occupancy in spring 2013. The County Commissioners Meeting Room and public records and administrative offices will also be in the Center. It is one of five facilities in the County’s Justice Facilities Master Plan produced in 2004.
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For more information, comments or questions, contact:
919-856-6350
or e-mail us at:
justicecenter@co.wake.nc.us |
Why does Wake County need a new Justice Center/courthouse?
State law requires each N.C. county to provide justice facilities that effectively meet the needs of its citizens. The new Wake County Justice Center is designed to expand the County’s current justice capabilities, including day-to-day criminal court and clerk of court functions, and to provide for public records and County administration offices and the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room. The new Justice Center will serve the County’s needs for at least the next 30 to 50 years.
Those needs address a rapid increase in the County's population and growing demands on the courts and county services. Since 2000, the County's population has grown by approximately 31 percent, averaging almost 28,000 newcomers annually. The population is projected to increase from 823,345 in 2007 to 1,056,143 by 2015. By 2030, population is projected to approach 1.5 million. During the next two decades, that's an average of 77 newcomers every day.
A significant population increase like Wake County’s requires larger facilities and more services to accommodate basic civic needs.
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Why do Wake County court officials need a new courthouse?
In 2000, court filings in Wake County totaled 169,000; in 2030, they are projected to total 391,000. As the County’s population continues to increase, the number of arrests and criminal and civil cases per year will increase. This results in larger judicial caseloads and, depending on the complexity, additional time for judges to dispose of them. As disposition time increases, there is also an extension of pretrial incarceration. This creates additional challenges considering the fact that overcrowding in some of the County jails at times exceeds capacity by 50%.
The number of judges and administrative staff will also increase to meet the functional needs of our fast-growing county. Space requirements for the courts are projected to increase from 300,000 sq. ft. in the existing courthouse to a total of more than 600,000 sq. ft. by 2030. The new Justice Center will provide the additional space needed.
The proximity of the two courthouses in downtown Raleigh helps maximize efficiency for victims, court judges, Clerk of Court, attorneys, law enforcement, families, individual citizens and courthouse security.
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How will the citizens of Wake County benefit from this new facility?
The new Wake County Justice Center will efficiently accommodate the growth in the County and the increased daily traffic in the court system and other public records operations. The attractive new Justice Center will have the capacity for approximately 22 new criminal courtrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology, as well as more space for court support, such as the Clerk of Court and Public Defender. The Justice Center will increase facilities and access to public records, including the Register of Deeds, Geographic Information Services mapping and Revenue. The new Center also includes a new County Commissioners’ Meeting Room and County administrative offices that will open to the public. The new Justice Center and the new Davie Street parking decks will provide space for 1,200 vehicles, an increase of more than 40%.
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Where will the new Justice Center be located?
The new Wake County Justice Center will be located in downtown Raleigh at the intersections of Martin, Salisbury and McDowell streets beside the Public Safety Center (county jail) and across from the existing courthouse. The new construction will replace the Garland Jones and the adjacent Judicial Services buildings to provide adequate space for the Justice Center and underground parking. Many of the materials from these buildings will be recycled and repurposed.
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How will downtown traffic be affected?
As can be expected with construction, traffic flow around the site will be affected at certain times. The design and construction teams, as well as public safety officials, will work with local media to provide construction updates to help the public maneuver around the site with as much ease as possible. Every effort will be made to ensure that the general public, court officials and staffs are inconvenienced as little as possible.
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Will the new courthouse feature better security for the public, staff and inmates?
The Wake County Justice Center will have significant upgrades in both technology and security. Security features will include: secure corridors under constant control, metal detectors, trained staff on post, camera systems monitoring the building, weapons checks, emergency duress buttons and key-card control.
As the new Justice Center will house all criminal courtrooms, the public and inmates will be kept separate at all times. New elevator systems will be constructed to provide improved movement for court officials, staff and the general public. The inmate population will be moved without interaction with the general public, court officials or staff.
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What impact will the new Justice Center have on the environment?
The new Justice Center will feature many environmental benefits. The building will seek to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, meaning it will be environmentally responsible, energy-efficient and a healthy place for staff and the public.
To help secure LEED certification, the new Justice Center is being designed, constructed and eventually operated with several environmentally friendly features, including good erosion-control practices, basic pollution prevention, water efficiency with all systems, refrigerant management, storage and collection of recyclables, improved indoor air quality, safer building construction materials and products, use of natural daylight versus powered light, use of recycled storm water for irrigation, bike racks and digitally controlled thermostats.
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How much will the new Justice Center cost?
The new Justice Center is one of five projects within an overall criminal justice system upgrade for Wake County. Construction on the Justice Center will begin in 2009 with a projected occupancy date of spring 2013, at an estimated cost of $214 million.
The Justice Center is one of several capital improvement projects resulting from the 30-year Justice Facility Master Plan produced in 2004. The other projects include:
- The new 990-space Davie Street parking deck
- Renovations to the 40-year-old existing Wake County Courthouse
- Phase II expansion of the Hammond Road Detention Center
- A new Law Enforcement Training Center in partnership with the City of Raleigh.
The five buildings are being designed and constructed to be long-lasting and durable to meet needs for at least the next 30 to 50 years.
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