The County recently completed its new $40 million Probation Department headquarters, located at the former General Hospital campus on Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo. Submitted photo
San Luis Obispo County recently completed its latest multi-million-dollar upgrade to its law enforcement-related facilities.
In late March the County officially opened its new Probation Department headquarters, located at Bishop Street and Johnson Avenue in SLO next to the old General Hospital campus (now Drug & Alcohol Services).
“The new modern headquarters provides upgraded technology, improved accessibility, and expanded training and meeting space to engage with justice-involved individuals to support the department’s mission of community safety and rehabilitation,” reads a press release from the County.
The new multi-story building is 34,000 square feet and cost some $40 million. The County said it’s “state-of-the-art.”
The new building allows the Probation Department to come together under one roof.
“Probation Department staff,” the County said, “have been working in three separate, older and outdated buildings in three different locations.”
The former Probation Department main office was also on the site of the new one but that one was ancient.
“The new facility,” the County said, “is just below the current [former] headquarters at the Casa Loma Building, which was built in the 1940s and has long outlived its functionality to serve the needs of the department.”
Chief Probation Officer, Tom Milder, said, “This new facility represents the Board of Supervisors commitment to make public safety a priority and will allow our staff to better serve those wanting to turn their lives around.
“We will be able to elevate our efficiency, enhance our training and better serve the people of our county.”
Board of Supervisors’ Chairman, Dist. 4’s Jimmy Paulding, said, “The County Board of Supervisors is proud to see this project completed. It not only replaces an outdated building — it ensures that our county’s probation team has the tools and environment they need to continue their essential work for decades to come.”
The new office building is the latest in several upgrades the County has made to its various arms of law enforcement. Over about the past 15 years or so, the County built a Women’s Jail plus upgraded the healthcare facilities for all of its lockups; added on to and remodeled the Juvenile Services Center; built a new shelter for the Department of Animal Services; remodeled an existing office space in SLO for one of the Sheriff’s detective squads; and most recently, built a new, co-located Dispatch Center in Templeton that houses both the law enforcement and fire department emergency dispatchers.
The new Probation Department addresses all the department’s needs for now and in the future. “In addition to upgraded workspaces,” the County said, “the new building incorporates energy-efficient systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and a safe, welcoming environment for both staff and clients. The facility was designed to accommodate future departmental growth and evolving community needs.”
The building was funded through the County’s Capital Improvement Program, the County said.
It’s also the latest project to use the “design-build” method of project delivery, meaning that the same company that designed it also built it, a relatively new-fangled way to construct big projects.
The main method used in the past would pencil out as “bid-design-bid-build,” so the design work would be done by one company chosen after a round of bidding, with the County then go out for bids on a construction contract.
It’s supposed to cut down on costly and time-consuming change orders and speed up delivery of a project.
The idea is if there’s just one company responsible for both design and construction, any problems uncovered during construction could quickly be fixed by the architect and not have to wait for someone who might not be available right away.
So far it seems to be working well, as the new Dispatch Center, JSC upgrades, animal shelter and Women’s Jail were all built this way.
“The project was designed and built by F&H Construction of Lodi, Calif.,” the County said, “in partnership with the County’s Public Works Department.”
Public Works’ Project Manager, Rob Staniec, said, “The ‘Design-Build’ model is becoming an important tool in helping us deliver modern, functional public facilities with an efficiency that keeps projects on schedule and within or even under budget.” .
Construction began in June 2024 “and reached completion on schedule and within budget,” according to the County.
After a couple of weeks moving in, the Probation Department was slated to officially occupy the new HQ in early April.
The County Probation Department “provides community corrections services that promote public safety, accountability, and rehabilitation for youth and adults throughout the county,” the department said. “The department works closely with law enforcement, the courts, and community organizations to support positive change and reduce recidivism.”
