Pierce County panel outlines Remann Hall replacement. Here’s the report
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- Remann Hall should be replaced at its current site in Tacoma, a task force says.
- The group gave 10 recommendations on a new Pierce County juvenile justice center.
- Remann Hall is outdated and no longer supports operational needs, officials say.
A task force has recommended that Pierce County replace the aging juvenile justice center, Remann Hall, at its current location in Tacoma, but costs and funding remain topics for a later day.
The 15-member Juvenile Justice Task Force, in a report released Thursday, made 10 recommendations to the county about how the new center should look.
“A new facility, to be known as the Family and Youth Justice Center, is necessary to replace, rather than renovate, the existing building and to align design with evidence-based practices,” the task force wrote in its report to the county.
Remann Hall houses a youth detention center, courtrooms for criminal and child-welfare cases, diversion programs and other juvenile justice services across four buildings. It opened in 1971 after replacing the original facility constructed in 1948, and it hasn’t been renovated since 1995, according to News Tribune archives and the county.
For a decade or longer, county officials have known that many of Remann Hall’s systems — including mechanical and electrical features — are at the end of their useful life, and officials say the complex is too institutional and not conducive to rehabilitation. When four youth detainees were temporarily moved to their own wing in the adult Pierce County Jail a year ago, officials cited an ongoing HVAC replacement project that limited detention space at Remann Hall as one factor.
“Remann Hall has reached the end of its functional lifespan and no longer supports current operational or programmatic needs,” the task force’s report said. “While the condition of the existing facility underscores the urgency of action, the Task Force’s work was guided by a broader charge: to articulate a forward-looking vision that is not simply about replacing an aging building, but about declaring our values and our responsibility to the community.”
The task force was formed by Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello’s signed directive last summer and asked to consider options for a new facility to address long-standing concerns about Remann Hall. The group comprised members with judicial, educational, community, business or law enforcement backgrounds, and it was led by retired Pierce County Superior Court Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck.
“We need a functional juvenile court facility that allows access to all and permits widespread community participation in juvenile justice processes,” van Doorninck said in a statement. “The community deserves a safe and welcoming place for families to receive services and promote restoration for the wellbeing of our youth.”
The task force’s recommendations addressed flaws that officials have identified in Remann Hall. The recommendations, among other things, called for a flexible design, including multipurpose spaces, to keep the facility relevant for decades to come as caseloads and laws evolve; clear separation between secure and public spaces; and appropriate areas for counseling, mental health and supportive services.
The group’s members were not limited to considering only the current site at 5501 6th Ave. for a new facility. They were given access to previous studies that contemplated major changes, including one in 2015 that examined a potential relocation to downtown Tacoma. The most recent study, in 2023, promoted a roughly $180 million redevelopment at the existing location.
Mello previously told The News Tribune it was nearly certain that bond financing would be necessary because the county’s stressed budget couldn’t pay for a new facility. The county said Thursday it expected to have a clearer understanding of construction costs in late 2027 after the schematic design of the new facility is completed.
As part of the next steps, the task force suggested how to approach exploring funding options for the Family and Youth Justice Center, including by learning from other jurisdictions that have built similar facilities and potentially bundling the cost with other public-safety capital investments.
“Establishing shared priorities was an important first step in the process of replacing Remann Hall,” the report said. “Now, Task Force members recognize the need to advance into facility design to better understand space requirements, operational needs, and the full cost of a new Family and Youth Justice Center on the current site.”
The design should include input from users, including Remann Hall youth and families and staff, according to the report.
