Juvenile Justice Center at 18th and Harney - 8 stories

[Brad]

I can't see the photo?

[ita]

I can't see the photo?

Can you see it if I do this:

[Brad]

I can't see the photo?

Can you see it if I do this:

Yes, Thanks!

[Omaha Cowboy]

From the W-H-

“The steel frames of the eight-story courthouse annex, at 17th and Harney Streets, and adjoining four-story juvenile detention center are complete. The annex’s glass exterior walls are done, except for a path for hoisting construction materials. The youth center’s concrete block walls are finished, with a brick exterior scheduled for spring.

The two new buildings are on schedule to open in June 2023, Burlington Capital Vice President George Achola told the Douglas County Board this week.”..

The complete W-H story link:

https://omaha.com/news/local/douglas-co ... the-latest

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Garrett]

Another year and a half? That seems like a lot

[Omaha Cowboy]

Another year and a half? That seems like a lot

Agreed..

I did a double take on that because I thought it said June of 2022 initially …

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[ita]

I don't know if I just missed this about the old MUD HQ in previous coverage, but the article states the following:

Next door, renovations are essentially complete in the historic former Metropolitan Utilities District headquarters, which developers are calling the 1723 Building for its address on Harney Street. The renovated offices will be ready for Juvenile Probation offices to move in by February or March, Achola said. It will eventually house community programs for youths and families as well.

[PWL73316]

I'm assuming a justice center has tons of additional work on top of your typical office building, and then it will take a long time to transfer equipment, employees and juvenile inmates to fully open the complex.

[Coyote]

Ribbon cut on Douglas County juvenile probation office Wednesday



The new Douglas County juvenile probation office has a new home inside the former Metropolitan Utilities District headquarters near 18th and Harney, and is the first of three projects for the new Douglas County Justice Center.

[nebraska]

[Cermak]

A nice infill project. It was 4 years ago that this was announced.

[guy4omaha]

Geez has it been that long ago already? Seems like time is moving so slow since the MOO tower was announced. Same for the Streetcar. I hope in 4 years from the MOO announcement, I will be able to look back and say "Wow has it been 4 years already," as well.

More on topic, yes, this is nice infill.

[Omaha Cowboy]

As the person who started this thread almost exactly 4 years ago from today, I can attest it’s been 4 years.. Several hurdles needed to be cleared the first 12 to 18 months before construction started..

As I stated in this thread’s opening post- this building is nothing mind blowing..but for infill purposes, I’ll take it…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Athomsfere]

As the person who started this thread almost exactly 4 years ago from today, I can attest it’s been 4 years.. Several hurdles needed to be cleared the first 12 to 18 months before construction started..

As I stated in this thread’s opening post- this building is nothing mind blowing..but for infill purposes, I’ll take it…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

For infill, I don't think you can under state how much even these small projects have changed Omaha since I moved here ~7 years ago. Walking, driving or biking around downtown and midtown just feels much more full.

[Omaha Cowboy]

As the person who started this thread almost exactly 4 years ago from today, I can attest it’s been 4 years.. Several hurdles needed to be cleared the first 12 to 18 months before construction started..

As I stated in this thread’s opening post- this building is nothing mind blowing..but for infill purposes, I’ll take it…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

For infill, I don't think you can under state how much even these small projects have changed Omaha since I moved here ~7 years ago. Walking, driving or biking around downtown and midtown just feels much more full.

They certainly make a big difference, no doubt…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[ita]

https://www.douglascountyclerk.org/imag ... tation.pdf

I am in the area quite a bit and with streets still being closed, I was wondering what was happening here. It sounds like a lot of interior work is finishing up, particularly in the tower. There are some nice aerial shots of the block. The housing building needs exterior finishing ASAP. Haha.

[Coyote]

Balancing public safety and juvenile justice reform
Douglas County opening Juvenile Justice Center downtown in July



The new Douglas County Juvenile Justice Center will open in downtown Omaha in June. County officials are working to figure out how to fit the current juvenile population into the downsized center. Some law enforcement officials have said from the start of the project that the new center is too small. Advocates like Voices for Children in Nebraska say it's best to keep as many kids as possible out of the facility.

[Cermak]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

[Louie]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

Crazy how that works lol

[GetUrban]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

Crazy how that works lol

Hopefully they’ll expedite the programs that were supposed to negate the need for at least the same number of cells they have now in the existing facility. Until then, I guess they’ll have to keep the old facility open.

[stadsborgare]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

In the olden days, they could have just added the floors later. Like the Baum Iron building on 13th & Harney, or the Burlington Place on 10th & Farnam, when they were originally built, they were about a floor or two shorter than they are today.

[Garrett]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

In the olden days, they could have just added the floors later. Like the Baum Iron building on 13th & Harney, or the Burlington Place on 10th & Farnam, when they were originally built, they were about a floor or two shorter than they are today.

So many buildings were designed to be expanded back in the day.

The most recent one I can think of is the BCBS building in Chicago. Built 1995 and expanded in 2007

[Omaha Cowboy]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

Definitely under-delivering if we are to believe what county officials are saying. It was always puzzling to me why this project was scaled back in the first place..

It’s a head scratcher …

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[SoPo]

Building turnover to the county was today. The county attorney's office will be the first to move in this week.

[thenewguy]

i still think it's a very clean design, a nice looking building.

[Cermak]

Big improvement over what used to be there. I wish it was a little taller. But a nice addition to the downtown core.

[Omaha Cowboy]

It adds density..

Never can have too much of that in our downtown core…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[GenX]

The original plans called for it to be 10 floors, but it was shortened for some reason to 8. Now it looks like it should have been left at 10.

In the olden days, they could have just added the floors later. Like the Baum Iron building on 13th & Harney, or the Burlington Place on 10th & Farnam, when they were originally built, they were about a floor or two shorter than they are today.

I can’t imagine they engineered the foundation and columns to support less weight after they shortened it, which means they should be able to add two floors in the future.

There have been at least a few buildings that have added floors within the last ten years. Ones that come to mind are a project in Benson and a couple in Lincoln.

[Coyote]

Concerns grow over capacity at new Douglas County Youth Center



Recent reports denote there are 77 young offenders housed in the current Douglas County Youth Center. In a meeting Thursday morning, county officials broke down the stats that reveal some of the more serious young offenders have been there for over a year. “When you look at the youths that are charged in our adult court system, we have seven youths who have been there over a year, and we have 10 youths who have been there between six months and a year,” said Kim Hawekotte with the county. “That’s over 50% of the youth in the adult court system that have been there for that length of (time).”

The Douglas County Sheriff sent a message that he’s concerned that the 64-bed youth center won’t be big enough, and arresting agencies will need to find lockups for juveniles outside the area.

[thenewguy]

I understand that things cost money, but it seems to be a theme with Omaha that everything is always like 75% of what it should be. This was just completed and it's already outgrown its space? Jeez Louise. I remember that being the dialogue on the forum here for a long time; if the collective 'we' get it, why don't they?

[Athomsfere]

I understand that things cost money, but it seems to be a theme with Omaha that everything is always like 75% of what it should be. This was just completed and it's already outgrown its space? Jeez Louise. I remember that being the dialogue on the forum here for a long time; if the collective 'we' get it, why don't they?

For the same reason the federal dropped having decent graphics design, and you don't see cool new government buildings. Anything not a stroad or highway is seen as a waste of taxes. So we ride the line and err on the side of "It might be good enough".

[Cermak]

I understand that things cost money, but it seems to be a theme with Omaha that everything is always like 75% of what it should be. This was just completed and it's already outgrown its space? Jeez Louise. I remember that being the dialogue on the forum here for a long time; if the collective 'we' get it, why don't they?

For the same reason the federal dropped having decent graphics design, and you don't see cool new government buildings. Anything not a stroad or highway is seen as a waste of taxes. So we ride the line and err on the side of "It might be good enough".

Yep, should have been taller, like the original rendering showed back in 2018. Then it was mysteriously shortened a few floors.

[ita]

I understand that things cost money, but it seems to be a theme with Omaha that everything is always like 75% of what it should be. This was just completed and it's already outgrown its space? Jeez Louise. I remember that being the dialogue on the forum here for a long time; if the collective 'we' get it, why don't they?

The holding space for juveniles is the 4 story building, not the tower. That was purposely built with less beds than the current detention center with the intent to reduce the detention center's populations through additional programming. Unfortunately the programming has not been fully develop, so we now have a detention center that doesn't have enough beds. It was a foreseeable issue that they thought they could avoid, but didn't.

[ita]

Douglas County Courthouse moving some operations to new justice center

John Chapman
Employees at the Douglas County Courthouse are making the move across the street to the new Douglas County Justice Center -- the path to a new and improved workplace.

A skywalk connects the new justice center to the historic courthouse. Court reporter Denise Winters says she’s moving out of a workspace that’s not ideal.

“The offices are small, we don’t have a lot of room,” she said. “There’s six judges on the floor now, so this is going to be a great move for us over here.”

The Douglas County Attorney’s office is already packed up and shut down. Their old spot in the courthouse has nothing left but a note on the door, the first to move its operations to the new justice center.

...
Borgeson says more judges, attorneys and clients will continue to increase the courthouse’s population, and officials will have to decide what comes next.

“Do we need another type of expansion, another building, or do we need a whole new courthouse,” Borgeson said. “That they’re looking at. It’s out there. We’ve already had a meeting about it, but it was just to present it to us. We still have to keep and maintain, and maintaining older buildings costs more, especially when you’re trying to renovate. We’ll continue to do that, as well as talk about what our future needs are.”

[Coyote]

Douglas County shows off new justice center

[Coyote]

After 5 years the Douglas County Justice Center is open: Aims to make youth court process less traumatic



Eight floors make up the new Douglas County Justice Center. It includes space for the County Attorney and the public defenders' offices, conference rooms for meetings and trainings, and even waiting areas. The new space aims to promote a low-stress environment for those going through the court system. "You are going to see a calming and a good environment, a hopeful environment for those that these offices and courts provide the services for," said Mary Ann Borgeson, chair of Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

[Coyote]

[Coyote]

Leaders host juvenile justice town hall



Controversy is building concerning capacity for the new juvenile justice center in downtown Omaha.

[thenewguy]

again begs the question as to why they changed the capacity in the first place. Should have increased it if anything.

[NEDodger]

again begs the question as to why they changed the capacity in the first place. Should have increased it if anything.

Agreed, especially with a growing population.

People overestimating their own abilities + stupidity. All this money for LESS capacity? Idiotic.