Aaron Hertzberg, Milwaukee County’s Executive Director of Administrative Services, spoke at Wisconsin Justice Initiative’s July 15 Salon about plans to replace Milwaukee County’s 100‑year‑old Public Safety Building. Hertzberg and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Carl Ashley spearhead the Investing in Justice: Courthouse Complex project, aimed at replacing the Safety Building with a modern, efficient, and safe justice center.
The design of the Safety Building create risks to public safety, as jurors, victims and their families, and defendants all use the same hallways. Encounters between defendants and jurors can result in mistrials that delay case resolution, while encounters between victims and defendants can create tense situations. Lack of space for attorneys to meet with their clients or for prosecutors to meet with victims or witnesses is an issue as well.
Meanwhile, the age and condition of the building will result in hundreds of millions of dollars spent on emergency repairs and deferred maintenance if the building is not replaced.
In addition to creating safer and better court spaces and offices for several court services, the project as currently envisioned would also open up MacArthur Square to public use once again and create a glass-fronted entrance to the historic courthouse on the east side of the building.
Hertzberg’s slides from the presentation, found below, provide key information and conceptual drawings for the public. Additional information about the project, including a video in English and Spanish, can be found on the Investing in Justice – Courthouse Complex website.