The Board of Supervisors and other Maricopa County elected officials celebrated the grand opening of the Southwest Regional Court Center. The County’s fifth regional court center opens to the public on February 21st.
“This new facility is directly in line with our mission to provide fiscally responsible, necessary public services,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Denny Barney, District 1. “We’ve efficiently managed our resources in order to provide improved services to Maricopa County’s residents.” The 75,757 square-foot Southwest Regional Court Center is part of the County’s master plan for the site, which includes land for other court-related services in the future. The total project budget of approximately $22.3 million was funded through the County’s modified pay-as-you-go capital program. Funding was first approved for the facility in the County’s FY 2013 budget.
The facility includes four justice courts with space to accommodate two additional courts as the County’s population grows. Three of the courts previously were located in outdated, leased space and the fourth court has moved from the downtown Phoenix area closer to the community it serves. The annual expense to the County for the three leased locations was approximately $542,000.
Justice courts handle civil and criminal traffic cases, landlord-tenant matters, protective orders, and small claims matters valued up to $3,500. The Agua Fria, Country Meadows, Maryvale, and White Tank justice courts serve parts of Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Phoenix, and Tolleson. These four courts processed almost 55,000 cases in 2016.
District 5 Supervisor Steve Gallardo, whose district includes the new facility, mentioned the County’s future plans for the additional county-owned acreage at the site.
“As West Valley population growth continues, additional County services will become available at this location. That’s great news for our residents,” Gallardo said.
“The justice courts are ‘the people’s courts’ and this center was designed with the public in mind, bringing justice much more directly to the people we serve,” added Presiding Justice of the Peace C. Steven McMurry. “It is a functional, yet modern courthouse. With this shared regional center, everybody wins.”
Supervisor Clint Hickman, District 4, lauded the foresight of previous County leaders in securing the nearly 15-acre parcel of land more than a decade ago to provide for future residents’ needs. Former court locations included leased space in a strip mall and in a business park.
“This new court center provides the sense of dignity and justice that a person should feel when entering a courthouse,” said Hickman.
The Southwest Regional Court Center is located at the northeast corner of 105th Avenue and West Van Buren Street.
Back row – Supervisor Bill Gates, Supervisor Steve Chucri, Supervisor Clint Hickman, Board of Supervisors Chairman Denny Barney, County Manager Joy RichFront row – Presiding Justice of the Peace C. Steven McMurry, Supervisor Steve Gallardo, Superior Court Presiding Judge Janet Barton