Dallas County is celebrating the opening of a $35 million government center in Oak Cliff. The 43,000 square foot building near E. Jefferson and Ewing includes a justice of the peace, county constable's office, and tax offices. The complex includes a 240-space parking garage.
"This government center is a community center as well," says Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia.
Garcia says the center has meeting space and landscaping outside to encourage people to gather.
"It's very important for people who realize, 'oh my God, I have to renew my license plates' or 'I want to get married,' you want an environment that invites you," she says.
Garcia says landscaping includes plants native to the area, reducing the need for irrigation, and the center has more natural lighting. She says builders also focused on energy efficiency, earning the building LEED "silver" certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
"None of this has been done through a bond initiative or any of that. All of this has been done managing the budget we have," says Dallas County Administrator Darryl Martin, who says the county is working on a total of $400 million in construction projects.
Garcia says a new building will save the county money long-term. She says Dallas County has worked to reduce the amount of deferred maintenance by $80 million.
"That puts Dallas County at a different level when it comes to debt and efficiently managing money for our constituents," she says.
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