COEUR d'ALENE — The University of Idaho's expanding programs and Kootenai County's desire to have all its justice services in one location have started talk about a building purchase.

Charles Buck, associate vice president at UI-Coeur d'Alene, told county commissioners on Tuesday that purchasing the old federal building downtown, now the county's Juvenile Justice Building, is worth exploring because the university's computer science program housed at the nearby Innovation Den is growing along with its engineering and entrepreneurial programs.

Centralizing justice services, meanwhile, has been a vision of the county's for several years because those departments are in multiple locations.

"It would be a one-stop shot for justice," said Shawn Riley, the county's building and grounds director. "About 85 percent of the county is now justice-driven, so you've got to address it."

While both sides are interested in further discussions, logistical and funding hurdles would need to be cleared.

"(The Juvenile Justice Building) is essential space to us, so we'd have to have a mechanism to replace that space," Commission Chairman Marc Eberlein said. "There are a lot of considerations for us, but I'd love it if UI had that building and we didn't."

The four-story, 23,964-square-foot Juvenile Justice Building was built in 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes five county departments, two holding cells and two courtrooms.

Riley said he has confirmed with the county's legal team that it could sell the building, even after the county purchased it for $1 from the federal government. The only question is if the county would have to repay a roof project that was paid for with a grant, he said.

Buck said the earliest UI would occupy the building — if a deal is hammered out — would be fall 2020. Riley said the building has had multiple updates, including the ventilation system, audio, boilers and sprinklers.

Commissioners have discussed whether the centralized justice services would be best by expanding the downtown campus or moving them all out to the fairgrounds property next to the jail and sheriff's office. The fairgrounds idea would eliminate the need to transport inmates downtown for court appearances.

Moving all the justice departments to the fairgrounds seems to be favored the most, but is also the more expensive idea and may not even be feasible without floating a funding proposal to voters.

The county is paying $7,216 per month for a 25,000-square-foot building on Lincoln Way for the Public Defender's Office.

"We have no space and they keep growing and needing more," Riley said of the rental scenario. "The biggest single obstacle in this county is lack of space to perform state-mandated services."

The other site option in the discussions for more space is the property the county purchased last year at 627 Government Way, adjacent to its parking lot on the north side of its courthouse campus. The property includes a 4,660-square-foot 1910 Victorian-style home-turned-business. It's possible the structure could be moved and a larger building constructed.

Commissioner Chris Fillios said the idea of selling the Juvenile Justice Building is worth exploring, especially if it results in economic development for the area and leads to a centralized justice complex.

"This would be a part of a larger facilities reconfiguration," he said. "It's doable, but it's obviously going to take a lot of work. We at least have a basis for conversation."