Groundbreaking Held for New Juvenile Justice Center in Tennessee

A new juvenile justice center in Williamson County, Tenn., will include 32 beds and four courtrooms. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of BELL Construction, Gresham Smith, Treanor and Oversite Consulting

• BELL Construction has started work on a new Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center in Franklin, Tenn., replacing the county’s current juvenile facility.
• The 114,900-square-foot project will include 32 beds and four courtrooms, with two additional courtrooms shelled for future expansion.
• Plans call for education and program areas, therapy space, indoor and outdoor visitation areas, and recreation amenities including an indoor gym and outdoor court.
• The juvenile justice center is the first phase of a broader redesign of the county’s judicial campus, with additional court and corrections projects anticipated.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. — BELL Construction and leaders from Williamson County, Tenn., have broken ground on a new 114,900-square-foot juvenile justice center in Franklin, a project county officials say is designed to strengthen rehabilitation and family engagement for youth in custody.

The facility will replace the county’s existing juvenile building, with construction expected to be completed in summer 2028.

BELL Construction said the project will draw on the firm’s experience delivering justice-sector work in the region.

“As a local builder, BELL Construction is proud to deliver a facility of this scale and apply our justice-sector experience to build it safely and to serve the community’s evolving needs,” said Rick Bruining, the company’s director of justice.

County leaders framed the development as an overdue update to aging infrastructure and an opportunity to deliver a more supportive setting for services.

“This new building is long overdue and deeply needed,” Williamson County Judge Shannon Guffee said, adding that the project is intended to provide a “trauma-informed environment essential to supporting our work and helping families begin to heal.”

According to BELL Construction, the juvenile justice center will include 32 beds and four courtrooms, plus two additional courtrooms built as shell space for future expansion.

Program and education space, therapy rooms and a shared dining area are planned, along with indoor and outdoor visitation areas intended to support family engagement.

The design also includes green space, recreation yards, an outdoor basketball court and an indoor gymnasium, as well as administrative offices, judicial chambers and other support areas for staff, families and community partners.

Williamson County Juvenile Court Director Zannie Martin said the project is intended to support youth rehabilitation while protecting community safety.

The juvenile justice center is described as the first of several buildings planned for the county’s judicial campus, with additional court and corrections projects anticipated in future phases.

BELL Construction is serving as the construction manager at-risk on the project, with Gresham Smith as the architect of record, Treanor as the architect and Oversite Consulting serving as the owner’s representative.

This article is based on a press release from BELL Construction published on March 19, 2026.