Needs Assessment Studies

Klein McCarthy Architects was hired to review jail data, prepare a space program for a new Law Enforcement Center and Jail facility, and provide a site masterplan to show the relationship of the new LEC and Jail in relation to the existing Courthouse and existing LEC/ Jail buildings.

For this study, Klein McCarthy Architects provided recommendations for the best placement and design of the Law Enforcement Center building expansion while least impacting the historical Courthouse and its grounds. The Beaux Arts style Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1985 and retains excellent historical integrity on both the exterior and interior. 

The study found the new Law Enforcement Center building should be located directly behind the courthouse, and attached via an underground tunnel connection at the Courthouse basement to allow for the maximum safety for the public and staff, but still located far enough from the Courthouse to maintain its historic character and that of the site and setting.

With a Courthouse, Jail and Public Safety Facility experiencing over-crowding, Klein McCarthy Architects was hired to provide an analysis of the existing downtown facility. The study will include an operations assessment of the jail, review of all departments to determine future growth, and an architectural and engineering assessment of the building’s current conditions.

The study will determine what is needed for the near and distant future to allow the County to masterplan for their needs. 

Clay County hired Klein McCarthy Architects to provide programming, planning and Schematic Design services to determine how best to address the County's long-term space needs for their Jail, Law Enforcement and City Police Department.

KMA explored the reuse and repurposing of existing County facilities as well as targeted expansions to maintain the character of the existing downtown Government Campus. Future Jail and Law Enforcement needs were comprehensively explored, along with greater efficiencies possible through the expansion and reorganization of the Sheriff's Office and City Police Department.

As part of the planning and programming process Klein McCarthy provided 3-D modeling and visualizations of the proposed additions and expansions. These rendering and visualization tools helped the County understand how variations in massing and exterior materials could achieve a human scale to the buildings within the neighborhood context. 

As part of a comprehensive and intensive look at the current and future needs of the Olmsted County courts and the criminal justice system as a whole, Klein McCarthy Architects along with National courts consultant Dan Wiley and Associates developed detailed strategic planning options to help improve and expand courts spaces and services while supporting long term county expansion needs.

Working within the County's existing Government Services complex, the planning team helped judges, courts staff, and key justice departments identify strategies and spatial options to improve the essential functions of the court system, enhance security and bolster system wide efficiency. The project has moved out of conceptual planning and into implementation of Phase I of the recommended building modifications.

Crawford County hired Klein McCarthy Architects to study options for the current two-story Jail and Law Enforcement Center and perform a condition assessment.  Portions of the jail date back even to the 1890s.  The resulting configuration is not staff efficient due to the two-story jail and has limited classification and gender separations.  The two-story jail was not compliant with accessibility requirements as there are program spaces on the second floor with no secure elevator to get inmates to them, and if an inmate was disabled they would need to cross the public lobby to get to an elevator with access to the courtroom.

The study looked at a potential new jail to the northeast of the current jail, to the southwest of the current site, and a remote site with a significant addition and renovation to the existing facility.  A remote site was viewed as a good option, but the added transportation costs, limited available staff to transport inmates, and the site acquisition made this option unaffordable.  The option the jail committee found best was placing the new jail on the southwest corner of the site.  This option fits the county’s needs for a flexible and efficient facility without vacating a street, or acquiring neighboring properties.