To: Board of Supervisors
From: Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Report Title: CORRECT Budget Amendment No. BDA-26-00641 for Demo of Old JH
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RESCIND Board action of May 12, 2026, item (C.102), which approved Budget Amendment No. BDA-26-00592 and Budget Amendment No. BDA-26-00593 for the Demolition of the Old Juvenile Hall Project; and APPROVE Budget Amendment No. BDA-26-00639 and BDA-26-00640 to reverse the appropriations and transfers previously authorized; and APPROVE Budget Amendment No BDA-26-00641 authorizing the transfer of appropriations across multiple funding streams in the amount of $7,449,195 from the Probation Programs (0308) and from the Juvenile Facilities and Improvement assigned fund balance to Public Works (0111), for the Demolition of Old Juvenile Hall project, Martinez area.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This action will adjust the appropriations to budget construction project in Cost Center 4413-2289-WW1065 for $7,449,195 and is funded 40% Juvenile Facilities Improvement Construction Funds, 24% Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility Sale Proceeds, 36% General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
On November 28, 2023, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors directed Contra Costa County Public Works Department to take the actions necessary to initiate and complete the demolition of the Old Juvenile Hall.
Over the past several decades, the landscape of juvenile justice has evolved significantly. Advances in behavioral science, trauma-informed care, and rehabilitative programming have highlighted the need for facilities that reflect modern best practices in both design and function. The Old Juvenile Hall facility is outdated, undersized, and ill-equipped to support the comprehensive needs of today’s youth and the staff tasked with their care. The facility is a two-story building originally constructed in 1950 and expanded in 1975 and approximately 54,694 square-foot in total. The adjacent Juvenile Hall, constructed in 2000, has rendered the older facility obsolete and no longer necessary.
Hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead, and mold, have been identified within the Old Juvenile Hall. Contra Costa County Risk Management has restricted access to the building due to these conditions, and the facility is considered a health and safety hazard.
The demolition project will begin with the abatement and proper disposal of hazardous materials prior to structural demolition. The scope of work includes complete demolition and removal of the building and associated underground utilities. Temporary and permanent security fencing and enclosures will be installed, and the site will be graded, backfilled, hydroseeded, and equipped with a new irrigation system. A new emergency generator will also be installed.
To support this effort, funding has been identified from multiple sources, including the Juvenile Facilities Improvement Construction Fund, proceeds from the sale of the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility, and the Probation Department’s General Fund budget. These actions will appropriate and transfer the necessary project funding to allow construction activities to proceed.
The Public Works Department has completed the necessary planning and permitting activities. Demolition is expected to take approximately one year to complete.
On May 12, 2026, the Board of Supervisors approved Budget Amendment Nos. BDA-26-00592 and BDA-26-00593 to appropriate and transfer funding for the Demolition of the Old Juvenile Hall project. Subsequent review identified appropriation issues that require the original Board action to be rescinded and the previously approved budget amendments to be reversed and replaced with a corrected budget amendment. The total project cost, scope of work, and funding sources remain unchanged.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If unapproved, appropriations will not be properly reflected in the FY 2025-26 budget.