The new Dallas County Law Enforcement Center has been in some phase of the project for around three years, whether it be design, bonding, preconstruction, or construction. While it appears to be heading into the home stretch towards completion, it’s still several months away from that point.

Sheriff Chad Leonard says the completion date has been pushed back several times, with the center currently estimated to open in mid March. Leonard says weather has been the biggest reason for construction delays, though the complexity of the building has also been a factor. “You know, there’s three sections of the building, A, B, and C. Seems like most of A is done, B is pretty close, and C is that jail portion that takes more work than we’re really aware of, you know? So that’s all enclosed now and they’ve got a ton of people in there going to work, so hopefully they stay on course and we’re in it some time in March.”

Leonard adds, even though the facility is nearly complete, his time spent on site to answer questions and review the work being done has only increased, which he says is due to there being a lot more little things that require his attention. He also points out that while the construction is taking longer than planned, the project is still well under budget. By the last report from the Samuels Group, there was around $400,000 in the contingency funds, which they say should be more than enough to take care of any more unexpected expenses.

To learn more about this and other topics related to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, click the link below to listen to the recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Leonard.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/12/04/lets-talk-dallas-county-12-4-2019-chad-leonard/