Coconino County adopts facilities master plan; county to site youth mental-health hub at King Street campus

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted Feb. 4 to adopt a long-term Facilities Master Plan that maps out new and renovated county buildings, regional service hubs and a countywide maintenance funding approach.

The plan calls for a 95,000-square-foot justice center on the downtown Flagstaff site of the county’s older jail, a consolidated courthouse campus with improved security and parking, upgraded Fort Valley and King Street campus uses, and a network of regional service centers for communities such as Tuba City, Page, Williams and Fredonia. The board also endorsed a redesign of the King Street health and human services campus that will locate the planned youth mental-health center inside the existing King Street building rather than in a separate new structure.

Why this matters: The master plan lays out decades of facilities work and is intended to help the county prioritize projects and pursue funding. Supervisors and staff said it balances safety, accessibility and capital-renewal needs while reflecting sharp increases in construction costs and shifts in how county services are delivered since the last major capital campaign. The county emphasized that most projects will require outside funding, staged construction and public input.

The vote: Supervisor Patrice Horstman moved to adopt the plan; Supervisor Ontiveros seconded. Chair Begay called for the ayes and the motion passed. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting minutes; supervisors present spoke in favor during discussion.

What the plan recommends: The Facilities Master Plan identifies five major themes: (1) additional and reconfigured space to meet changing program and security needs; (2) targeted demolitions and replacements for buildings that are inefficient or near the end of useful life; (3) conversion of some services into regional service centers to bring services closer to rural communities; (4) continued emphasis on capital renewal (repair and replacement) and operations funding; and (5) reduced reliance on long-term commercial leases except when temporary space is needed.

Downtown Flagstaff: The plan proposes demolishing the older non-historic jail building and building a new justice center with secure underground parking and modern court circulation. The existing courthouse would be renovated to hold justice partners — offices that routinely work with the courts such as adult probation, public fiduciary and the public defender — freeing leased space in downtown Flagstaff. The plan also shows a possible reconstruction of downtown block circulation and a planned parking structure to serve employees, jurors and customers.

King Street campus and youth center: Health and Human Services presented a related project to create a youth mental-health hub for ages 12–18 using a “hub-and-spoke” model. Michelle Axland, director of Health and Human Services, said the county will locate the youth center inside the current King Street building rather than build a new standalone structure after architects and facilities staff showed a lower-cost reconfiguration that keeps the project within budget. "We only have good news on this deal," Axland said during the presentation.

The interior plan would open the King Street lobby, create a new public-facing desk and teller area, expand social-service delivery on the first floor, and convert underused back-of-house space into a youth center with its own side entrance, dedicated courtyard, telemedicine rooms, private counseling and flexible meeting space. Health staff said the youth hub will be youth-led and youth-designed, include peer support and telehealth options, and coordinate with community partners such as schools, the Guidance Center and local clinics. Brandy Stuhan was introduced as the program’s clinical director and starts work immediately.

Timing and cost: County staff described the master plan as a long-range roadmap. Staged projects such as a downtown justice center would likely require multiple years for design and construction. Staff estimated an accelerated timeline could still take roughly five years from project start to occupancy for a very large downtown project; more typical timelines extend to a decade. The county said many projects would rely on combinations of congressional directed spending, grants, state funds and other non‑general-fund sources.

Funding and capital renewal: Facilities staff and the consultant emphasized the difference between daily operations/maintenance and capital renewal (repair and replacement). The plan recommends continuing and, where possible, expanding dedicated capital renewal funding so new construction does not compete with essential upkeep of the county’s existing buildings. The county also intends to keep pursuing outside grant and partnership funding for regional centers and major projects.

Board reaction and next steps: Supervisors praised staff for condensing needs into a single strategy and urged the county manager’s office to return with prioritization, cost estimates and a financing plan. County Manager Andy Bertelsen told the board staff will prepare follow-up briefings on funding options and a recommended sequencing of projects. "We need to move from plan adoption to prioritization and then to detailed funding conversations," Bertelsen said. Staff will schedule that work with the board and return with a timeline and specific initiatives for funding and design.

Context: The Facilities Master Plan update was produced by the county’s facilities staff with FM Solutions (consultant) and a countywide advisory team. The board has considered multiple master-plan updates over the past two decades; the current plan reflects changes in technology, security standards, service models and recent construction cost inflation.

What’s next for the youth hub: Health and Human Services said it will continue design work, begin outreach with schools and community partners, and, where possible, start smaller “spoke” programs in Page, Williams and Tuba City while the Flagstaff hub is built and readied for operation. Axland said the King Street interior redesign approach keeps the youth center within the funds the county committed and avoids a larger stand-alone build that exceeded the budget.

Ending note: The board adopted the Facilities Master Plan as a framework; the document does not authorize specific construction contracts. Staff will return with prioritized projects, refined cost estimates and funding strategies for board approval before construction work begins.