The groundbreaking ceremony for the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) renovation and expansion, alongside the Public Safety Building project, has been rescheduled to next week. Originally planned for January 17, the event will now be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 24, on the south lawn of the JLEC at 111 E. Eleventh St.

The decision to postpone the event comes in consideration of the ongoing trial proceedings. The ceremony will feature brief speeches from several prominent figures, including Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Reid, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District James McCabria, Director Tony Foster of Emergency Communications, Tim Ockinga, Vice President of J.E. Dunn Construction, and Jeff Lane, Principal of Treanor Architects.

Construction on the JLEC expansion is expected to begin later this month, weather permitting. The Douglas County Commission had approved an $81.9 million budget for the project on December 11, which will be financed through bonds and available cash reserves. The expansion, led by Treanor Architects and J.E. Dunn Construction, is projected to take two and a half years to complete. This major capital improvement will be the largest of its kind in the county’s history, significantly enhancing public safety and judicial facilities in the region.