Williamson County Breaks Ground on New Adult Detention Center

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new 596-bed Williamson County, Tenn., adult detention center was held June 10. | Photo Credit: BELL Construction

• Williamson County, Tenn., and BELL Construction broke ground June 10 on a new 230,000-square-foot adult detention center.
• The facility is planned with 596 beds, 18 housing pods, 260 prefabricated metal cells and a 70,000-square-foot parking garage.
• Program spaces will include intake, booking, court services, medical and dental care, an infirmary, mental health housing and indoor/outdoor recreation.
• The project is the second county justice-facilities project to start construction in 2026, following the juvenile justice center that broke ground in March.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Officials in Williamson County, Tenn., and representatives from BELL Construction broke ground June 10 on a new 230,000-square-foot adult detention center designed to expand detention capacity and support a broader range of justice services as the county continues to grow.

According to an emailed press release from BELL Construction, the facility will include 596 beds, 18 housing pods, 260 prefabricated metal cells and a 70,000-square-foot parking garage with 156 secure parking stalls. Planned operational spaces include central intake, booking, transfer and release functions; magistrate and warrant court services; laundry and food service areas; medical and dental clinics; an infirmary; mental health housing; recreation areas; and multipurpose space for programs, education and rehabilitation activities.

The project also emphasizes staff support, with plans for administrative offices, collaborative workspaces, fitness, training and locker room areas, secure parking, and indoor and outdoor break spaces. In a statement included in the release, BELL Construction Director of Justice Rick Bruining said the work will draw on the company’s justice-sector experience and focus on safety, durability and operational efficiency for staff, people in custody and the wider community.

“This new jail represents thoughtful planning, responsible leadership and a commitment to providing our Sheriff’s Office with the resources necessary to adequately serve our community, our staff and our inmate population for generations to come,” Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Hughes said in the release.

In addition to BELL Construction, Gresham Smith is serving as the architect of record, with Treanor as the architect and Oversite Consulting as the owner’s representative. The project is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2029.

The adult detention center project is part of a larger facilities effort intended to modernize justice and detention operations for Williamson County, and is the second justice project to break ground in the county this year. In March, county leaders and BELL Construction broke ground on a new 114,900-square-foot juvenile justice center in Franklin, a project intended to strengthen rehabilitation and family engagement for youth in custody. The project team working on the adult detention center is also building the juvenile facility, and will commence work on a planned alternate learning center, maintenance building, gun range, impound lot and Sheriff’s office as part of a larger justice campus development in the coming months.

Together, the projects indicate a multi-phase county investment in updated justice infrastructure, with the adult detention center focused on security, housing and daily operations while the juvenile facility addresses separate youth-services needs.

This article is based on a press release emailed from BELL Construction June 10, 2026.