JACKSON, Wyo. — County officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the future Justice Center on the corner of South King Street and East Simpson Ave.
The groundbreaking was the next step toward constructing the Justice Center. In 2024, the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) ballot initiative supporting a local tax contribution of $88 million to the building passed by just 28 votes. The civic hub is expected to contain a Teton County detention facility, the District Courtroom and related office space, the Circuit Courtroom and accompanying offices, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, and the County and Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
“For years we’ve known that the old facility wasn’t meeting the needs of our staff, our courts, or the public,” Teton County Commissioner Wes Gardner said at the ceremony. “It was a building that had simply reached the end of its useful life; too small, too outdated, and unable to support the level of service that our community expects and deserves.”
The 80,000-square-foot building design initially caused concern and questions from community members, especially in relation to the smaller size of surrounding buildings. Anderson Mason Dale Architects, the project’s architecture firm, scaled the corners back from the sidewalk in response to public comments about the massive size.
“The new Justice Center has been designed to stand the test of time,” said District Court Judge Melissa Owens. “Equal justice for all is the cornerstone of our system, and we must strive in Teton County to ensure all citizens — no matter what their socioeconomic status is — are able to access justice.”
Jason Berning, of Berning Project Management, told the group of gathered stakeholders, local officials and government employees that the next step of pouring concrete foundations will begin within a few weeks and last through the summer. Structural steel will be installed at the end of the summer and is expected to be finished by the end of 2026. Roof drying, the phase where the roof deck is made watertight and weatherproof, will take place next year, with site work and exterior finishes happening in the fall of 2027. In the winter and spring of 2028, crews will work on interior finishes. The move-in and grand opening are anticipated for the summer of 2028. After that, the current county jail will be demolished and the expanded parking lot will be completed before the end of 2028.
Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney Dick Stout thanked the voters for supporting the Justice Center project. He acknowledged that the work of the County Attorney’s Office is not always “fun,” but he described their criminal code enforcement and civil work as crucial to the community.
“We often talk, in this community, about the power of place,” Stout said. “It’s really impactful to me that we are building this Justice Center on this site, where the courthouse had stood since the late ’60s, and it shows our commitment to justice by building this building here and not just off outside of town.”
