Midland County Commissioners Court planning new Justice of the Peace building

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - The Midland County Commissioners Court bought the block across the street from the current jail complex on S Main St. which holds the old salvation army building and an old office building. Soon, a new building will house the Justice of the Peace.

“We’ve spent the last year or so abiding by all the asbestos getting all that cleared out of there were out for pricing right now to get them demolished,” said Midland County Judge Terry Johnson.

Johnson says that they’ve always meant to bring the justices of the peace together.

“We’re trying to combine them all into one we think it’d be more efficient for them staff wise, facility wise, we also want to bring in the four constables, put them under in the same facility and then we have a new death investigator unit which is three people,” said Johnson.

Midland County currently has four JP’s, split in half, working out of two separate buildings.

The new building will cost between $25 and $28 million, depending on what they settle on and the final architectural plans.

“We just drew out the building that would accommodate the offices and the courtrooms we had in mind and also you got to have a certain amount of parking so that particular spot will accommodate this,” said Johnson.

The actual look of the building and layout planning will be done farther down the line.

Johnson says the goal would be to have the building completed in the next three years.

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