LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials in Seward County plan to break ground on a new justice center as early as April and move into the planned $12 million building by fall 2016.

The 44,000-square-foot building will go up next to the Seward County Jail, which will be demolished to make way for a parking lot.

The new building will consolidate several county offices under a single roof, including the jail, sheriff’s office, courts, county attorney’s office, emergency dispatch center, probation offices and public defender.

Seward County Sheriff Joe Yocum says the three-floor building will offer benefits in security, compliance, and increase the number of jail beds to alleviate the rising cost of housing prisoners out of county.