Georgetown Edition | April 2025

$90M admin building to open 2026 From the cover

Current situation

• A soon-to-be expanded Juvenile Justice Center • A proposed new Jail and Justice Center complex Williamson County was recently named the 10th fastest growing county in the nation. With a population of about 727,480, the county shares population sizes with North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming, Clemons said. By 2050, it’s expected to reach 1.6 million, according to county documents.

“We’ll have several areas that will get a little bit of space pressure alleviated,” Clemons said. Departments that will remain in the downtown facilities will be able to spread out, Clemons said. While sta is still examining long term relocation options for employees in the courthouse, justice center and tax oce, Clemons said ocials are eyeing downtown space along with: • The Lake Creek Annex

Over the next ve years, Williamson County could relocate up to 16 departments and open four new facilities. The county has 63 departments and 1,921 employees as of February, according to county documents. County Manager Rebecca Clemons compared the relocations to falling dominoes, and said the rst domino is pulling sta from the courthouse, justice center and tax oce to the WCAB.

Williamson County purchases, projects and relocations 202430

Departments relocating to the WCAB

January Juvenile Justice Center expansion groundbreaking

Spring Move into WCAB

Summer/fall Juvenile Justice Center Phase 2 complete

• County

• County auditor • County manager • Budget ofice • Legal department • Purchasing department • Community Development Block Grants • Public affairs ofice

Commissioners Courtroom • County judge’s ofice • County tax assessor/collector’s Georgetown ofice • County clerk’s records division • County treasurer

2026

2030

2024

2025

2027

Summer Juvenile Justice Center Phase 1 complete & downtown relocations

End of 2030 New Jail and Justice Center move in

Lake Creek Annex purchase

Lake Creek Annex move in

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

SE Inner Loop properties County-owned property

The context

1 Juvenile Justice Center 2 WCAB 3 Williamson County Juvenile Services 4 Williamson County Lake Creek Annex 5 Williamson County Courthouse

The county has 17 properties, 12 buildings and one parking garage in downtown Georgetown, including the Jail and Justice Center complex, according to county documents. However, there are limits to expanding downtown. “The justice center is out of space, and we’re squeezing people in all dierent little nooks and crannies,” Covey said. “Can we build something by 2030? I think the answer is yes.” Commissioners voted to eventually move the Jail and Justice Center functions out of down- town, but exactly when and where a new com- plex would be opened remains undecided, Covey said. She said it would remain in Georgetown and hopes it could serve the county through 2050. Depending on the market, a new complex could be anywhere from $600 million-$800 mil- lion, Clemons said. The county’s 2030 relocation goal is “aggressive,” and ocials hope to choose a rm this summer, Clemons said. “2025—I see it as a planning year,” Covey said. “We’re making a decision that will impact future courts for generations, and we want to lay it out in a very well-thought-out plan.” If approved by the Texas Legislature, the

Downtown overlay district Historic overlay district

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county could also add a seventh district court as early as October, according to previous reporting. While the downtown location doesn’t have

room for a new courtroom, the Juvenile Justice Center will create a new full-time courtroom once it’s expanded, Covey said.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM