County leaders sign steel beam of new Juvenile Justice Center

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Big changes are on the way for the New Hanover County juvenile justice system.

County leaders celebrated the construction of the new Juvenile Justice Center with a beam signing Tuesday.

The new building is being built on North 4th Street. It will be three stories and almost 39,000 square feet.

County leaders say the new building will help them grow with the county and help them serve even more children.

With the Raise the Age law now in effect, Sheriff Ed McMahon says they expect to work with even more teens.

“We needed a lot more room,” McMahon said. “With the age raising, we’re anticipating there are going to be a lot more young people involved, so giving us room, being able to separate people and have some private areas for families for counseling.”

McMahon says the building will be used for functions like counseling and court matters.

It’s expected to be ready for use in February of 2021.