Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to relocate downtown Louisville headquarters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One of Kentucky's largest law enforcement agencies is preparing to move into a new headquarters.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office signed a lease for a University of Louisville Foundation-owned building at 515 W. Market St., according to our partners at Louisville Business First.

The sheriff's office has operated out of the Fiscal Court Building for nearly three decades, and will continue to use the building's garage on Market Street.

Renovations to the space are expected to cost $130,000. Business First reported the UofL Foundation will largely cover the costs as it owns the building, which is a block away from the JCSO's current office.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's Office will pay the agency's rent, which will be $768,803.04 annually. The lease is for one year, which is the case for all Metro leases, Business First reported. There is an option to renew for nine additional one-year periods. Costs of moving and other anticipated costs are still being finalized.

The sheriff's office said it plans to start moving in phases after renovations. The goal is to be fully moved in by Sept. 1, occupying space on the building's first, fourth and fifth floors, as well as the basement.

It's not clear how many employees will move into the new space. JSCO has an authorized force of 240 paid deputies, 102 reserve deputies and 60 civilian personnel. That makes it the fourth-largest law enforcement agency in the state.

The UofL Foundation was gifted the eight-story building at 515 W. Market Street by Humana Inc. in 2022. It has nearly 130,000 square feet of leasable space, and is also home to UofL's Health Equity Innovation Hub.

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