Wayne County will open the doors to a long-awaited criminal justice center next month that county leaders say will be accessible to both the public and inmates and will feature user-friendly services.
The seven-building complex at 5301 Russell Street has more than 93,000 square meters of floor space, is spread over 4.5 hectares and is considered one of the most ambitious construction projects in the county’s history.
BridgeDetroit was among the media that took a tour of the new facility earlier this month. Access to secure areas of the site was restricted. The facility will open to the public on September 3.
The complex includes a seven-story courthouse, 26 criminal courtrooms and 1,400 office spaces for judicial departments and agencies. According to a press release, it also has adult and juvenile detention centers that can house up to 2,500 inmates.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and reflective surfaces provide plenty of natural light in the courthouse’s main lobby and hallways. After passing through security, visitors have the opportunity to check hearing times and courtroom numbers on large display screens that list each courtroom’s agenda, similar to an airport terminal.
While viewing the screens displaying court records, residents can turn in any direction to find out where to go next. Behind them they will find the elevators. To the left they will see a cafeteria and a large staircase leading to the door for jury services. Just beyond the airport-like screens is a long hallway where visitors go to court services and many ticket counters to serve them efficiently.
The 10,000-square-foot youth correctional facility can accommodate up to 120 residents and features approximately 16 jail cells in a cell layout designed to provide maximum visibility and therefore increased security. Other key elements include remedial facilities such as a library, indoor basketball court, outdoor recreation area and gym.
“This long-awaited day represents a major step forward in criminal justice, not only for Wayne County, but across the country,” Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell (D-Democrat) said in a statement.
“This state-of-the-art complex brings together all branches of our criminal justice system, from the sheriff’s department to the district attorney’s office to our courts,” Bell said. “It will also represent a major advance in the physical and mental health care of inmates.”
The county received the keys to the new facility in March, beginning a 180-day transition period. Wayne County must vacate the old facilities it sold to Rock Ventures by mid-September under the development agreement approved in July 2018.
The county estimates the complex will house 1,400 employees and receive 1,000 visitors daily. The new location provides convenient access to free parking around the facility, alleviating a long-standing complaint by employees and visitors, including jurors, that parking costs and long walks from the parking lots to the county’s existing courthouse have created barriers to the county’s criminal justice system and employment.
Wayne County notes that the CJC will streamline many court-related processes, including processing traffic tickets and paying fines. Private meeting rooms for attorneys and their clients are a new concept in the county and were not present in the old facilities. The center will also offer state-of-the-art technology, including video hearings, visitations and remote hearings.
Third Judicial Circuit Court Presiding Judge Patricia Perez Fresard said the opening of the CJC furthers the district’s efforts to create a safe environment and build trust.
“It gives us an opportunity to show those who come into this building that the justice system works well for them,” Fresard said.
County officials, staff and stakeholders have been looking forward to new facilities since 2010, when construction on a new jail began. The original project, nicknamed the “Failed Jail,” was halted in 2013 after cost overruns made completion of the project unreasonable.
The county’s share of the cost today is just over $500 million, nearly $100 million more than the amount the county originally agreed to pay in 2018.
As of February, the project cost was $670 million, with the county footing $502.8 million of the bill and Rock paying $167.9 million of the cost and any cost overruns. According to an Aug. 15 budget presentation, the original contract was for $407 million for the county and $132.3 million for Rock’s contribution.
County employees will be greeted at their new workplace by receptionists hired by the county to add a “special touch” to the transition and avoid confusion among employees who are not yet familiar with the layout of the new buildings.
For security reasons, county officials have kept details of the move, including the transfer of inmates from the old jail to the new one, secret. However, some logistical aspects were discussed at Wayne County Commission meetings throughout the year.
The county began moving offices, equipment and employees to the new buildings earlier this month. The complex move was coordinated by hired consultants and transition teams comprised of department heads from all agencies that will operate at the new location. Day-to-day operations were moved first.
The district commission monitored the progress of the project through a special committee set up in 2019.
Additional costs incurred over time on the project were not considered “change orders” because they were not included in the original design of the project when the original contract was approved. Over half of the $100 million in additional construction costs were for a central utility plant and the county’s decision to purchase parking facilities from Rock.
The county commission approved a separate $36 million contract with DTE Energy to build a central utility plant. Although the original development agreement called for the construction of a power source, the cost was unknown at the time of approval in 2018.
Heath told the select committee in March that once the construction costs are added up, county officials “will have much to be proud of because we have all been good stewards of the county’s money.”
In total, the county approved about $3 million in change orders, less than 1% of the total project cost. The county commission delegated its authority to review and approve change orders in 2020 to a six-member “change order panel.” The panel consisted of three senior staff members from County Executive Warren Evans’ administration and three members appointed by the commission. Contracts and subsequent changes are typically approved during public commission meetings, but deliberations on the changes took place in private panel meetings after the commission waived its authority.
Excellent work, problems remain
The county will be responsible for construction costs after the takeover, including the additional jury seats in two courtrooms. The county did not immediately respond to a request from BridgeDetroit about the estimated cost.
The county also has the opportunity to review the expenses associated with the project provided it gives notice of this six months before final completion.
Heath recommended two areas the commission could review earlier this year. The first was the $10 million Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment grant, from which the county and developer were allowed to draw funds to purchase materials for the plant. Heath recommended an audit of Rock’s spending related to purchases the company made at the county’s request, adding that he did not expect there to be any problems there. The other area, he said, was the cost of the shell of the central utility plant. Rock had to contribute about $2.5 million to build the plant’s “shell,” and the county was responsible for the rest of the costs.
The county’s former juvenile detention center has been vacated. Officials are working with the procurement department on plans for a public auction of materials not used in the new facility. Last week, Rock Ventures announced its plan to demolish the old prisons later this year, but the agreement with the county does not require disclosure of future plans.
