A.J. Roy donates site for Avoyelles Justice Center

If voters approve a 1/2-cent sales tax to support the proposed Avoyelles Parish Justice Center, there will be one less expense to pay out of those tax revenues.

A.J. Roy III will donate the 9-acre tract selected for the new courtroom and court offices building.

When the Justice Center District selected the site, Roy Investment Properties had offered to sell the land on La. Hwy 1 for $333,234.

“If the people of Avoyelles want this new justice center, I will give the property for it to be constructed on,” Roy said. “My family has been blessed, and donating this property is one way of giving back to our community.”

“When A.J. told me he was donating the property, I must’ve said ‘Wow’ 10 times,” Mike Kelly said. Kelly is a leader in the effort to gain voter approval of a sales tax on the Nov. 16.

“We are humbled and extremely grateful that Mr. Roy has offered to donate nine acres on La. Hwy 1 to the Justice Center,” Kelly continued. “The amount bid, $333,234, was considered by those knowledgeable persons to be a conservative figure.”

Kelly said real estate on the five-lane section of La. Hwy 1 in Marksville and Mansura “is considered prime commercial property. The site offers so many advantages, including location, near the center of the parish, and access on the five-lane highway, which is brimming with activities.”

Kelly said the donation will immediately save taxpayers $333,234 since the property will not have to be purchased.

That, combined with a $50,000 planning grant the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe gave to the Justice Center District, brings the total donations to support the project to $383,234 -- and it is still all on paper, waiting on public approval to become a reality.

ABOUT THE CENTER

The proposed center will be a modern facility in which to conduct civil and criminal court business.

The one-story, 40,000 sq.ft. building will house at least two courtrooms -- and possibly a third should the state authorize a third judgeship at some point in the future.

There has been some concern that the Clerk of Court’s operations would move, but that is far from a sure thing.

Kelly concedes a large area on the blueprints is labeled “clerk of court,” so there would be space for the clerk of court if the new clerk to be elected this fall wanted to move.

The proposed Justice Center would have ample public restrooms -- compared to the one, small restroom on the 3rd floor where the two courtrooms are currently located.

There will be 220 parking spaces for prospective jurors and others with court business.

The building will be handicapped accessible.

Unlike the courthouse, the proposed one-story courtroom building would not have elevators or stairs and would comply with all building codes, Kelly said.

The public will have an opportunity to view the architectural drawings and meet with district judges William Bennett and Kerry Spruill at 6 p.m. on June 26 in the Paragon Casino Resort’s Arsene and Belazaire ballrooms.

A public notice of that meeting is in this edition and will be printed in Thursday’s Marksville Weekly News and Bunkie Record and this coming Sunday’s Avoyelles Journal.