Justice center unveiled

SPANISH FORK — Officials and residents this month got a peek at the design for a new Spanish Fork Justice Center, which the city plans to begin building next year.

The proposed 58,500-square-foot building carries an estimated $13 million price tag. It will be the new home for the Spanish Fork Police Department and will also provide space for 4th District Court.

Architects from Edwards and Daniels Architects in Salt Lake City unveiled preliminary designs for the facility at a City Council meeting earlier this month. The core design for the building is set and the architects are now working on the details in preparation for a groundbreaking in spring 2007.

Tom Brennan, the project architect from EDA, said designing a building for two distinct users posed quite a challenge.

"It really leads to a solution that consists of two separate buildings with shared mechanical and support spaces," Brennan said.

The design team placed a premium on keeping the two entities as separate as possible, down to providing a specific entrance for each one.

"While (the police and the court system) are related, I think they are distinct entities," Brennan said. "When they share a building, I think there becomes a concern, or a perception by the public, that maybe they're not separate. But by having two separate entrances, we've tried to show a respect for that separation."

The facility is being designed to handle any projected growth for at least 25 years, and Brennan said it represents a solid investment that should be functional for at least 50 years.

When the building was first discussed by the City Council earlier this year, council members considered building the structure as essentially a large shell, then finishing off areas as growth dictated. The design set forth by EDA, however, calls for a completed structure that will be easily expandable along the exterior as more space is needed.

Initially, the building will have two courtrooms, one for district court and one for juvenile court, and the necessary office and clerk space for the courts. Plans call for up to two additional courtrooms as needed in the future. Some of the workload from the 4th District chambers in Provo could be moved to Spanish Fork eventually, said 4th District court executive Paul Vance, but no details for any such shift have been planned.

Vance said court representatives have been meeting weekly with EDA, and he approves of the direction the building is taking.

"I think it's going to be very impressive," he said. "Tom's doing a great job and we're working very well with the Spanish Fork Police Department."

Earlier this year, the Spanish Fork City Council authorized the issuance of bonds of up to $14 million for the project. The council also voted to alter the property tax rate slightly to generate approximately $255,000 in additional funds each year to help pay for the building.

Fourth District Court will technically be leasing space in the building from Spanish Fork City. The money the city collects in lease payments will be used to pay off the bond.

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com