The demolition of a former tire shop in downtown Odessa, Texas, in December 2025 marked the start of the first phase of the new $200 million Ector County Courthouse project, correctionalnews.com reported.
Work started after the county commissioner's court approved the design for the new five-story courthouse building. The county said the building will feature modern technology, enhanced security measures and expanded spaces.
The county's Adult Probation, Adult Sentence Monitoring, District Attorney, and District and County Clerk offices will be housed at the new facility, correctionalnews.com reported.
It also will include multiple courtrooms, including two district court courtrooms and one county court at-law courtroom, as well as secure underground parking for judges and a central holding area for inmates that will maximize space and improve safety.
Further expansion is possible as per the design, with as many as nine additional courtrooms possible, according to correctionalnews.com
Butler-Cohen and DLR Group lead the design-build project, which will be completed in three phases, with the project delivered by the end of 2029.
Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett said the courthouse is designed to meet Ector County's needs for the next 80 years, correctionalnews.com reported. The facility also will feature a new parking garage, post office, library and civic plaza, which is expected to open in 2030.
The county's existing courthouse was built in 1938 and is plagued by water leaks and flooding, pests and broken or deteriorating infrastructure. The facility was expanded twice since its opening, but voters twice rejected bond measures for further renovations, correctionalnews.com reported.
The courthouse project is being funded through property tax increases, along with $325 million in new debt approved by county commissioners in November of 2024.
Aside from the county courthouse, those funds will go toward building a new juvenile detention facility, with a $45 million design-build bid for the juvenile detention center awarded to Butler-Cohen in November, according to correctionalnews.com.
The new facility will host spaces for education and vocational training, medical and mental health treatment, recreation, legal proceedings and visitation. Youths will be housed in six separate housing pods designed to increase safety and security while enhancing supervision.
