photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

From left to right, Tim Ockinga of J.E. Dunn Construction, Principal Jeff Lane of Treanor, DA Dakota Loomis, County Commissioner Gene Dorsey, County Commissioner Shannon Reid, County Commissioner Karen Willey, County Commissioner Erica Anderson, County Commissioner Patrick Kelly, Undersheriff Stacy Simmons and Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District James McCabria.

Douglas County officials broke ground on the $81.9 million Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and Public Safety Building project on Friday, saying they hoped the investment would produce a facility that would serve Douglas County well for decades to come.

The renovation of the existing JLEC building and construction of a new Public Safety Building is the largest capital improvement project in the county’s history, and it’s expected to start construction at the end of the month, weather permitting. On Friday, Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Reid, Chief Judge James McCabria and Undersheriff Stacy Simmons of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were there to kick off the project, along with Vice President Tim Ockinga of J.E. Dunn Construction and Principal Jeff Lane of architecture firm Treanor.

McCabria told the few dozen people in attendance on Friday that a lot of factors were taken into account to bring the project to fruition — safety, ensuring the space would be welcoming to everyone, even conveying to staff through the building’s design that their work is important. He also highlighted the importance of the first impression when people enter the JLEC.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Principal Jeff Lane of Treanor speaks on Friday, January 24, 2025.

“What they encounter when they walk into this building creates their first impression of the legal system and how we do what we do here,” McCabria said. “… It was no small task. The number of agencies, offices, departments that operate in or collaborate with the district court in this building, I think, is more than many people realize.”

Simmons said the Sheriff’s Office, along with many other departments, will be starting a new chapter with this project, as many operations will be moving to the new Public Safety Building next to the Douglas County Jail. She said it would be “a new legacy for future generations of public safety professionals who will ensure the citizens of Douglas County will receive the crucial services they need.”

Ockinga said his team at J.E. Dunn was proud to be working on a project that would have a lasting effect in the community.

“We want to be a part of these projects that impact all of the places that we live, work and play in, and I really can’t think of a project that exemplifies those qualities more than this project,” Ockinga said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Vice President Tim Ockinga of J.E. Dunn Construction speaks on Friday, January 24, 2025.

Lane thanked all of the departments and staff that contributed to the project and said that their time was essential to making the project a success.

“The building behind me was finished and completed in the early ’70s,” he said of the existing JLEC. “It’s 50 years old. The building that we’ve designed is designed to do that and more … (and it) will stand again for another 50 years.”

Reid said that well-planned county infrastructure projects focus on how to better serve the public over time and ensure access and safety.

“I’m proud to be a commissioner who helped usher those values forward in the last few planning stages that brought us to this moment,” Reid said.

As the Journal-World reported, the Douglas County Commission approved the project’s budget of $81.9 million in December, and the work will be funded through a combination of bonds and available cash. The project’s estimated completion timeline spans about two and a half years.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Douglas County commissioners are pictured at the groundbreaking ceremony for the JLEC and Public Safety Building project on Friday, January 24, 2025.