TOM MORTON Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:00 am
Natrona County has begun the long process to build a juvenile detention center to replace the facility on the third floor of the Hall of Justice at 201 N. David St.
Commissioner Matt Keating had asked Amundsen Associates architecture firm to present very preliminary design drawings and even more tentative cost estimates to the other four commissioners at a work session Tuesday.
Jerry Amundsen distributed tentative drawings of a possible 36,000-square-foot building that would include 24 beds in a "hard" - or lockdown - area, an intake area, a reporting area, and a crisis center. Other possible amenities could include a library and recreation area.
While agreeing with Keating that the current detention facility is inadequate, some commissioners said much more work needs to be done with a plan before committing funding and appealing to the community for support.
Barb Peryam wanted to see research of other cities with juvenile jails, have a discussion whether the facility should serve regional or local needs, and include the comments from judges, the sheriff, youth workers and others in the discussion.
"The public needs it (the plan) to be as right as you can get it before going out there," Peryam said.
Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@trib.com.