Arial View of Proposed Justice Center
Dept Mayor Adam Collins
In a contentious interview, Mayor Greg Ballard’s Deputy Mayor in charge of Economic Development Adam Collins couldn’t adequately explain why goals for minority-owned businesses and even what minority-owned businesses have been contacted to be part of the massive 1,270,000 square foot Marion County Criminal Justice Center. A project that will cost the city $1.6 Billion in payments over thirty-five years. In an extensive Afternoons with Amos interview City officials couldn’t give detailed or even rudimentary data or information on how minority-owned businesses will be involved in the massive project to be located along the west bank of White River just southwest of downtown where the old Chevrolet Truck and Bus Plant was located. Even though minority business outreach was very visible and public for the building of Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco now Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Eskenazi Hospital, minority business involvement has been secretive or non-existence. It’s an unusual and seemingly unprecedented lack of engagement of minority-owned business for a major Indianapolis civic project funded by tax dollars. The concept of a consolidated Justice Center for Indianapolis isn’t new. For decades Indianapolis leaders of both parties have talked about building a new facility that would have county courts and the county jail in one centralized facility as space in the City-County Building has become cramped and dangerous for jurors, defendants, victims and their families.
Ground Level View of Justice Center
But plans by the Ballard Administration to build such a Marion County Justice Center using a new controversial private/public partnership has created much suspicions. Call PBI or Performance Based Infrastructure, the plan calls for a private entity to share the risk and reward of developing, building an operating a publicly-owned facility. Supposedly PBI allows a project to be completed faster, on budget and at an enhanced value. But many aren’t thrilled by the concept. It didn’t help that Ballard Administration officials, in the name of playing prospective builders of the Justice Center against each other, kept details of the prospective bids secret from members of the City-County Council, other community leaders, the media and the public. Now details of the deal with an entity called Heartland Justice Partners has been released. For the first time the public is getting a look at a complicated deal that’s only been used in one other city (Long Beach) the 36th largest city in the country.
Design of Courtroom in New Justice Center
Afternoons with Amos devoted the most airtime of any Indianapolis media for City officials to explain their plan for building a new Justice Center and how it will be financed. According to Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Adam Collins the city will make guaranteed payments of $46.8 million dollars beginning in 2019 for thirty-five years. The city will own the building, but the construction, the financing, risk management and operation and maintenance of the facility will be the responsibility of a consortium of companies led by a French lead equity partner and developer called Meridiam.
View of the Justice Center from Downtown Indy
Other partners include an out of town general contractor Walsh Investors and the world famed architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. In the extended interview, Deputy Mayor Collins and Sheriff John Layton (who is enthused over the fact that the 45 year old Marion County Jail would be replaced with a state of the art 3,000 bed facility) explained the deal which not only includes an expanded jail, but an expanded Community Corrections Facility with 930 beds, 28 new courtrooms for Criminal Courts and Traffic Court and ten hearing rooms. But some of the details from Deputy Mayor Collins were sketchy. There was a lack of detailed data, including detailed financial information. The cost per square foot of the proposed facility, $36.85 per square foot, is extraordinarily high. At least 40% higher than the square foot cost of the top new commercial space in Downtown Indianapolis. Even though the Justice Center is specialized space, the square foot costs seems high and Collins didn’t adequately explain. However, Hear and Read the information and make your own conclusions. Click the Media Player to Hear the Full Afternoons with Amos Interview, Sometimes Contentious, on the Marion County Justice Center. Runs 51 Minutes. ©2014 WTLC/Radio One. Read Fact Sheets About the Project Here: Project Fact Sheet Justice Complex FAQ Developer One-Pager
