With the population of Dallas County continuing to grow at a rapid pace, one thing that the public may not realize is an issue, but the County is acutely aware of, is the need for additional courtrooms.

Board of Supervisors Chairperson Mark Hanson says the County has been working with the 5th Judicial Court for the last several years on addressing the growing need for courtrooms, and several plans are currently in motion. With the help of Jerry Purdy and the Farnsworth Group architecture firm, Hanson says there are at least three more court spaces in the works, including in the west wing of the second floor of the Dallas County Courthouse. “We are in design stages with the 5th Judicial District to develop an additional courtroom for their use, probably within the next six months once the contract is let. And then in our new law enforcement center/jail, there is a first appearance court that will be there when that building is completed. And then we’ll start looking at the old jail building to look at additional court space. Particularly we’re looking right now at criminal courts, some additional room for court activity for criminal court.”

Hanson emphasizes there are still many possibilities floating around right now for using the current Sheriff’s Office facility, though nothing concrete has been decided yet. Some plans even include the adjacent former car dealership the County recently purchased. He also points out, the Farnsworth Group has been exploring renovations to the current jail since before the new law enforcement center was approved, so there’s no shortage of ideas. To learn more about this and other projects going on in Dallas County, listen to this Monday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.