Countywide : Juvenile Hall Addition Plans Moving Ahead

The county is moving forward with plans to construct a 30-bed addition to its juvenile detention facility in Orange.

Plans for the $3.5-million project are now being finalized, and construction is expected to begin later this year.

The new wing will probably be completed sometime in 1997, officials said.

The detention hall is the largest of four county-run facilities for juveniles. It currently can house more than 300 offenders.

Once architectural plans are completed, county officials will accept bids from firms interested in building the addition.

The project is funded primarily by a state grant.

Redevelopment money will also be used.

The detention center is on The City Drive near the Theo Lacy Branch Jail and UCI Medical Center.

The county also plans a much larger expansion of Theo Lacy that will increase the number of beds from 1,300 to nearly 3,000.