BY KEN FRANCIS, STAFF WRITER
More than 100 people celebrated the grand opening of the new Sherburne County Judicial Center Wednesday afternoon.
The crowd was filled with members of the general public, government officials, judges, department heads, county staff and former officials as they listened to an account of the long process it took to finish the 100,000 s.f. building as part of the $60 million Government Center expansion project.
“This is something that has been in the planning stages since 2007,” said Board Chair Lisa Fobbe. “This building would not be possible without the forward thinking of county commissioners then and now.”
She spoke about the contribution of the judges, who worked diligently with the architects and staff on the project.
“The judges have been great to work with throughout the planning and construction phases of this building,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for more supportive and engaged partners, who have spent innumerable hours poring over drawings and providing detailed input into how the five courtrooms and other areas should look and function.”
County Administrator Steve Taylor said it was a process that seemed monumental at times. He said who would have thought the building would take 21,500 gallons of paint, 93,000 bricks and 620 tons of structural steel. But he said the building is done and it’s time to move ahead with the rest of the project - renovating 130,000 s.f. of the old Government Center.
Judge Mary Yunker thanked staff and county officials for their hard work and dedication. She spoke about how important an efficient, state-of-the-art courts building is necessary in the 21st Century.
“Last year, 16,445 cases were filed in Sherburne County District Court,” she said. “That means over 16,000 times last year, our fellow citizens came to court to protect their legal rights or to solve their legal problems; to clear title to their land; to end their marriage; to protect or collect support for their children; to recover for an injury suffered in an accident; to appoint a guardian for an aging parent; to enforce a contract; to answer for a criminal action or to adopt a child.”
She said now the county has “five efficient, shiny new courtrooms and room for more, and all the related space needed to make them function as a place where justice is done.
Yunker mentioned how former commissioner Rachel Leonard felt it was their duty to spend tax money wisely.
“She said many times as stewards of funds and representatives of public interest, we were committed to building a Chevy, not a Cadillac,” said Yunker.
“Well, Commissioner Leonard, I’m here to tell you today that due to the hard work, creative thinking, innovative design and can-do spirit of this project, we may have thought we were building a Chevy, but we produced a Cadillac anyway. And after the test drive taken this week, we’ll be ready for the road Monday, driving to resolution of the next 16,000 cases that are filed in Sherburne County.”
The new courts building opens for business Monday.
