New justice center to serve West Valley residents
Jan 20, 2016, 5:30 AM
Maricopa County Supervisors have broken ground on the Southwest Regional Justice Center aimed at serving the legal needs of those in the West Valley.
The building at 105th Avenue and Van Buren Street will house four justice courts and could eventually include other county and court-related services. Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo said the center will save West Valley residents from having to make a trip to downtown Phoenix.
“No one should have to drive all the way to downtown Phoenix for services,” Gallardo said. “Let’s take the services out to the West Valley. Let’s have an office out there that’s going to be able to provide assistance and services to the people of the West Valley.”
The $30.6 million building will be funded by the county. Gallardo said they have money saved up specifically for this project.
The new regional justice center will replace outdated space currently used by three justice courts while also housing a fourth court that is moving from downtown Phoenix. The three current justice court locations are costing the county about $542,000 per year in rent.
“Let’s reduce the cost that we’re spending on rent and leasing other buildings,” Gallardo said. “Let’s consolidate all these courts into one facility where they can share each other’s resources.”
The new center could also accommodate two additional courts as the county’s population grows. Gallardo expects the new center to be completed in about a year.
