JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the demolition of the Clifford P. Hansen Courthouse during its regular meeting on Tuesday in a unanimous 4-0 vote (Commissioner Wes Gardner was not present).
Demolition of both the Hansen Courthouse and the Teton County Courthouse is expected in early 2026 to make way for the new Teton County Justice Center, to be constructed using the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) funds totaling $88 million. The proposed three-story Justice Center would house the District and Circuit Courts, Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney’s Office, Clerk of Court, 911 Dispatch Center, County Jail and associated office and storage areas.
According to the County’s announcement of the decision, it came down to sewer infrastructure. Demolishing the Hansen Courthouse will allow the replacement and rerouting of “critical sewer infrastructure” for the Justice Center in the “most cost-effective way, avoiding sewer realignment costs that would otherwise extend across two city blocks,” per the County.
“While the Hansen Courthouse was not originally planned for demolition, updated engineering assessments make clear that this step is necessary to ensure the long-term success of the Justice Center,” Teton County General Services Director Mark Erwin said in the announcement.
BCC Chair Mark Newcomb told Buckrail the vote wasn’t taken lightly. He noted the financial and logistical benefits of avoiding a costly sewer reroute, which could have disrupted traffic on Willow St. and Simpson Ave.
“For me, and to a certain extent for one other commissioner, it was a very difficult decision,” he said. “It’s hard to look into the future and see the difference between a future where we demolish it and a future where we don’t demolish it. We can only focus on what we do know, and a rough probability of what could happen in those worlds.”
On Monday night, Jackson’s Town Council voted 3-2 (Alyson Spery and Jonathan Schechter opposed) in favor of sending a letter to the BCC requesting that they consider accommodations for the Municipal Court and Victim Services, which are both currently housed in the Hansen Courthouse.
“I can’t support this letter,” Schechter said at the Monday meeting. “The County has created a crisis and we are being asked to solve it. The County came to us in mid-July and asked us to rush through a decision. We are asked to do something at the eleventh hour. If the County wants to make a change, it should not be our problem.”
Town staff recommended executing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Town and County to outline expectations and commitments regarding possible new accommodations for the Court and Victim Services, recommending that Town Hall could accommodate the Municipal Court in the short-term.
“This is an unusual process,” Councilor Kevin Regan said. “There is a need in our community for the Justice Center and jail. It’s not always easy to balance Town with County, but the town is within the county. I am in support of the letter and continued discussions.”
The County’s statement notes that staff worked with the project architects to design space for Victim Services in the new Justice Center once construction is complete.
“In the interim, we are going to look at building a minimum of two offices and a conference room in the basement of the General Services building for [Victim Services],” Newcomb said. He added that the County “might offer up some space” for the Municipal Court in the Justice Center.
Jury operations will be relocated to the modular office buildings east of the County Administration Building while demolition and construction projects are underway, Tuesday’s announcement states.
“Given the community nature and need for the new Justice Center, we hope to work with the Town,” Newcomb said. “We would hope that the Town works with us, partners with us, works arm in arm, in terms of making that happen.”
