Berrien County Commissioners Discuss New Juvenile Center

berriencountyadmin2-41
berriencountyadmin2-41

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is talking about constructing a new county juvenile center. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Jim Curran said the administrative committee has been briefed on possible designs by Wightman and DLR Group. County Administrator Brian Dissette told commissioners a need to act on the current facility in Berrien Springs looms.

“We’ve been put on notice that operation will halt at the former general hospital, and as has been explained to the board, the general hospital site and our juvenile center site are tied at the hip,” Dissette said. “They share water, they share sewer. If we are going to stay out there, we’re taking on all the water and sewer responsibilities.”

That’s one deadline. The other is the federal deadline to spend ARPA funds, which could go toward this project. Curran said the location for the new juvenile center would be on Napier Avenue in Benton Township near animal control and the health department. Dissette said the county could eventually move other services to that property on Napier, making for a centralized campus. Curran said the admin committee is comfortable with proceeding with a building design.