SPANISH FORK — As a few dozen dignitaries turned the first shovels of dirt to make way for Spanish Fork's new police and courts facility, a chorus of "It's about time" made its way through the crowd.

The $18 million Justice Center, which will house the Spanish Fork Police Department and courtrooms for 4th District Court, was proposed about two years ago under the administration of previous Mayor Dale Barney.

"Mayor Barney got the ball rolling on this — then left us with the bill," quipped current Mayor Joe Thomas at a ceremony Monday. "I don't know what's up with that."

City officials tried to begin construction on the facility last year but were stymied by a lengthy land acquisition process.

In the meantime, the budget for the building that was originally planned to cost $14 million grew to $18 million as the police department asked for more space and construction costs rose.

But at the groundbreaking, all parties involved expressed great satisfaction at the final design.

"I really think that we've been able to maintain the vision both of the city and of the courts and develop a facility that will serve the needs of both for a number of years," said Tom Brennan, the project architect from Edwards and Daniels Architects in Salt Lake City.

Brennan said one of the main concerns in the design was to create a strong presence for the building, which will be readily visible from the freeway, while serving the needs of both organizations.

The building will have two distinct wings, each with its own entrance.

Brennan said emphasizing the legal separation between police and the court system was a driving factor in the design.

"It makes a lot of sense to co-locate these two entities in the same location, but at the same time, it's important to maintain that separation," he said.

Workers and subcontractors for Layton Construction began work on the site as soon as the groundbreaking crowd cleared.

Mike Daniels, project manager for Layton, said working on a building with so many stakeholders usually would be a challenge, but this process has been smooth so far.

"So far everyone we've met and worked with is all pulling in the same direction," Daniels said.

Daniels said he was aware that the project would bring dust and other unwanted impacts to the community but pledged that his company would do all it could to limit those aspects of the construction.

When completed in July 2008, the Justice Center's address will be approximately 700 W. 100 South. It will be the centerpiece on a 13-acre plot of land the city acquired earlier this year with the intention of creating a centralized campus for future city buildings.

The City Council approved a $22 million bond last month to finance the building's construction and pay for some infrastructure improvements on the north side of town. No tax increase is expected for the bond.

The city finished paying off a 10-year bond on the fire station in 2006, and council members voted to keep property taxes the same so that the money that had been going to the fire station could be diverted to paying a bond for the Justice Center.

Money from 4th District Court, which will pay Spanish Fork city to lease space in the buildings for its needs, will also help pay off the bond.

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com