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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Restored B-17 Flying Fortress headed to Medford ... Phoenix is third Bee City USA in Rogue Valley ... Phoenix residents unhappy with chip seal project ... Restored B-17 Flying Fortress headed to Medford ... Phoenix is third Bee City USA in Rogue Valley ... Phoenix residents unhappy with chip seal project ... MEDFORD DA's office breaks ground today on new $6.2 million building Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:52 PM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:28 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:52 PM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:28 PM » Social News A $6.2 million Jackson County District Attorney’s Office is about to be built to replace the existing building that was damaged by an improvised explosive device in November 2013. Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held from 8 to 9 a.m. today at 815 W. 10th St., Medford. “We’re currently in three buildings,” said District Attorney Beth Heckert. “Getting into one building will be a lot more efficient.” She has a staff of 50 full and part-time employees, including 21 deputy district attorneys plus victim-services advocates, child support case managers and legal assistants. The 20,000-square-foot building will meet new earthquake standards and have extra security features, such as bollards to prevent vehicles from crashing into it, as well as outside surveillance cameras. Adroit Construction Co. of Ashland is the contractor and Ogden Roemer Wilkerson Architecture of Medford developed the design. U.S. District Court Judge Owen M. Panner sentenced Alan Leroy McVay to 15 years in prison for setting off an explosive device in front of the DA’s office in the early-morning hours of Nov. 13, 2013. The device detonated but didn’t ignite a propane tank attached to it, which would have caused considerably more damage. The detonation blew out a window at one of the buildings. No one was injured. When Heckert started working for the DA’s office in 1988, it was in the Jackson County Courthouse. Within a year it was moved to 715 W. 10th St., its current location. At the time, Heckert remembers, there were nine deputy district attorneys. Space is limited in the three buildings that now house the DA offices. Heckert said she hired a new deputy district attorney recently who is sharing an office with another attorney until the new building is finished next year. The two-story building, which will be paid for out of county reserves, will offer meeting rooms so victims can be interviewed in private. “Before we had to meet with them out in the open,” she said. The grand jury also meets at the DA’s offices, but the tight quarters can make for uncomfortable situations. “Now we have hostile groups who are in the same small room,” Heckert said. “We will have rooms that keep them separate.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:52 PM Updated Aug 12, 2015 at 5:28 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501