ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- Officials broke ground on a new juvenile detention center located on a plot of land along CR 26.

Up to 30 will be housed at the center.

Elkhart County Commissioner Suzanne Weirick said, “It will provide an opportunity for our youth to be close to home. It will keep our youth in contact with their curriculum locally. It will give our programming, our juvenile programming, the opportunity to really expand and ultimately reduce recidivism.”

The facility will cost close to $7.5 million dollars to build. Bids came in under budget by more than $2 million dollars.

Officials are hoping to have the project completed by March of next year.