Clark/Horizon Break Ground on Joint Processing Center

October 30, 2015

Clark/Horizon Break Ground on Joint Processing Center

HOUSTON - Representatives from the Clark/Horizon joint venture joined officials from the City of Houston and Harris County to mark the start of construction on the Joint Processing Center. Construction of the $100 million facility is expected to last 24 months.

The Joint Processing Center will streamline city and county operations to eliminate duplicate efforts and establish a new level of correctional processing that focuses on directing detainees to outside community resources when appropriate. The new facility will help reduce the local jail population and separate out those persons requiring specialized handling. The Joint Processing Center also will provide increased upfront medical and mental health screenings and space for short-term assessment of detainees entering or leaving the detention system. 

"We are proud to deliver such an important social infrastructure project to the city and the county," said Jim Ansari, General Manager for Clark's Texas Region. "This facility is on the leading edge of correctional design and philosophy and will make detainee processing more efficient and effective."

The three-story, 250,000 square-foot facility will have temporary holding cells, medical facilities and cells, arraignment courtrooms, short-term inmate housing, and operations areas for the County Sheriff and City Police departments. Clark/Horizon also will build a secure-zone tunnel system to connect the Joint Processing Center to existing and future facilities.

Though not contractually obligated, Clark/Horizon has set an internal goal of awarding at least 15 percent of project contracts to small/HUB businesses. The team's comprehensive outreach efforts were recently honored with a 2015 Strategic Teaming Award from the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council.

"Both Clark and Horizon have deep roots in the community and know how important small businesses are to the local economy," noted Ansari. "Through our continued outreach and approach to doing business, we are determined to identify and provide meaningful opportunities for qualified firms in the greater Houston area."

"Our motivation for setting an internal goal to utilize MWSBE businesses is centered around building their capacity to help prepare them for bigger and better future endeavors," said Al Kashani of Horizon Group International. "We see this project as an opportunity to open doors for others in the same way that doors have been opened for us.” 

The Joint Processing Center is designed to achieve LEED® certification.