Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center

Owner: Virginia Department of General Services | Services: Cost Estimating, Value Engineering

Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center (BAJCC), located in Chesterfield County, is a secure facility with an operational capacity of 272 beds. BAJCC serves residents aged 14-20 who receive mental health and rehabilitative counseling services and academic and career readiness training.

An assessment of Virginia’s juvenile justice system initiated by the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) focused on the BAJCC. It precipitated a shift in approach to what promotes success and reduces recidivism rates among court-involved youth. The DJJ established an ongoing transformation plan the following year that integrates a strategic framework of four guiding principles with core operational strategies.

As a result, the BAJCC campus was slated for significant changes to accommodate new programs and methodologies. The scope of work includes demolishing several structures; 90,000 square feet of new construction on 22.75 acres related to administration, health, education, and residential facilities; and associated site redevelopment. A key project goal is for the reimagined BAJCC to be “similar in scale and attitude to a community college both in the buildings and overall campus.”

In addition to cost estimating services, Axias provided a Certified Value Specialist to lead a three-day value engineering workshop which incorporated an independent peer review by an architecture and engineering panel.