A proposed $180.4 million Justice Center would replace three Davis County courthouses, including Bountiful's, with a single five-story building in Farmington.

County commissioners are scheduled to review the proposal at a work session on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The county's share of the project: $28.3 million, funded through a bond. The state judiciary would cover the remaining $152.1 million through an annual appropriation spread over 20 to 30 years, according to the work session agenda packet.

Commission Vice Chair Lorene Kamalu recommended the work session, set for 8:30 a.m. at the Davis County Administration Building, 61 South Main St., Suite 306, in Farmington. No vote is on the agenda.

The project would consolidate court operations now scattered across courthouses in Farmington, Bountiful and Layton. All three buildings carry security deficiencies and none meets current design standards for safety, accessibility or capacity, the project summary states.

Under the plan, a 179,000-square-foot facility would rise on the existing Farmington courthouse site, next to the Davis County Sheriff's Office and Davis County Jail. Court tenant space would total about 144,000 square feet, a 20% reduction from what the state maintains across the three current buildings.

The design calls for 12 state courtrooms, one county justice courtroom and two shelled courtrooms built for future expansion. A raised in-custody transportation corridor would connect the building to the jail so defendants in custody never share hallways with jurors, witnesses or families.

The new building would house district, juvenile and justice court functions alongside the County Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Office and jail, giving residents one address for justice services.

For Bountiful residents, the consolidation means the end of the Bountiful courthouse lease.

Selling the state-owned Layton courthouse after the move would return $7.5 million to the state general fund.

The Utah Judicial Council ranks the project as its top statewide facilities priority. Davis County is Utah's third-largest county, and the project summary projects 13% population growth by 2030.

The proposal still needs a fiscal year 2027 state legislative appropriation to move forward. No hearing or vote date in the Utah Legislature has been announced. The next regular Davis County Commission meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 15; the Tuesday, Sept. 8 meeting has been canceled.