Scottsdale Hangar One

Best Concrete Project
Maricopa County 4th Ave. Jail
To blend in with its downtown setting,
the 4th Ave. Jail more resembles a
large office building or manufacturing
facility than a state-of-the-art correctional
facility. The exterior of the jail is a mix
of decorative polished aluminum panels,
glass block and more than 150,000
red bricks used on the building's facade.
Behind these exterior walls are more
than 1,100 cells, a special management
unit, onsite medical facilities, exercise
spaces and a secured visitor system, all
guarded by some of the most elaborate
and high-tech security systems available.
Officers delivering prisoners to
the jail will enter through a secured,
street-level garage entrance. For prisoners
that must appear in Maricopa
County Superior Court, there is a
secured underground tunnel between
the Jail and court buildings. In all more
than 45,000 cu. yds. of concrete were
poured to form the Jail's five floors. The
concrete pour required more than 4,500
trucks of concrete.
McCarthy purchased a custom-built
forming system from a local fabrication
company, that allowed more than 50 ft.
of chase wall to be poured per day for the
six months needed to form the main
structure of the building. With the capability
of holding more than 1,360 prisoners,
the 4th Avenue Jail will help to ease
some of the overcrowding issues that
Maricopa County faces. In addition, the
jail will provide one of the most secure
facilities in the country, and will serve as
a test bed for some of the newer technologies
and construction techniques
incorporated into the facility.