After years of waiting, judges and other staff are finally moving into the new Gallatin County Justice Center.
District court judge Rienne McElyea watched the construction process from start to finish.
As she steps into her new courtroom for the first time, “Seeing it completed was just an amazing feeling because it is just beautiful; it has the dignity and authority that a court building should have,” Judge McElyea says.
In 2021, Gallatin County voters approved a $29 million bond to construct the new courthouse, which has seven courtrooms for youth, justice, and district courts.
After 40 years in the old Law and Justice Center, the people who work there are excited about the new space.
“We are growing so much; we know we will have a fifth District Court judge, not when, but we will,” Judge McElyea says.
And how much did the whole project cost?
“It is 46 million dollars; the good news is we have come so far—we are not done yet, but we have come in a million dollars under budget. But we must still demo the existing building,” says Gallatin County Chief Manager Nick Borzak.
Borzak says lots of consideration went into the building, including the materials, down to the cinder blocks made in Three Forks.
“It is the largest block building in the state—198,000 blocks,” Borzak says.
Most importantly, Borzak wants to emphasize, “The county did a good job of spending money wisely, which was approved by the voters. They are going to have a great building for 40 years probably or more, and it's safe and secure; it's for the public.”
For Judge McElyea, accessibility is a priority.
“It makes me feel really good for individuals to know that they have been valued, they have access to this building, and it won't be a hardship to get in and out of the building,” Judge McElyea says.
As construction wraps up, some courts will be up and running by Monday, Jan. 13.
