San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Board of Supervisors has acknowledged the completion of an extensive interior renovation of the County’s 51-year-old Juvenile Services Center in Lucas Valley.
Murray Building Construction Inc. of Sonoma was awarded a contract for the project in June 2014 and soon will receive its final payment now that the Supervisors extended authorization during their July 14 meeting. The $873,620 total cost the project came from the County’s Capital Improvement Fund and was overseen by the Department of Public Works.
The building, located at 4 Jeannette Prandi Way near Marin County Juvenile Hall, originally was built as family rehabilitation center and dormitory and since the 1970s has served as headquarters for the Probation Department’s Juvenile Services Division. Core functions of the division include the screening of all crimes and status offenses; assisting the Juvenile Court in making detention and sentencing decisions through the conducting of investigations and preparation of Court reports; and providing supervision and referrals for treatment to the juveniles on probation.
Project construction started in July 2014 and finished May 27, 2015. Division personnel temporarily were relocated about two miles away to a County-owned building at 1600 Los Gamos Drive in Terra Linda and moved back to the renovated center in April.
The renovation at the Juvenile Services Center included an accessible lobby area redesign and retrofit, interior refinishing, accessible restrooms, new lighting, new windows, security system upgrades and improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Kevin Lynch, Director of Juvenile Services, said Probation is experiencing fewer juvenile cases but more that require a larger staff commitment, a trend that is consistent statewide. Staff spends more time with a young person or family than it used to, and the previous building configuration didn’t have a comforting or welcoming feel to it.
“Facility staff and other campus co-workers have commented on how clean, fresh and well lit the space seems to be,” Lynch said. “The controlled climate also makes being there a refreshing and pleasant experience.”