For immediate release: June 4, 2024
Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963 (cell)
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov
Public Invited to Gallatin County Justice Center Grand Opening Ceremony
After years of collaboration, planning, and perseverance by community leaders, Gallatin County is proud to invite the public to celebrate the grand opening of the new Gallatin County Justice Center, a safe, efficient, and modern facility built to serve the people of our growing county.
Join us Thursday, June 20 at 3 PM at the Justice Center, located at 515 S. 16th Ave. in Bozeman, for a ribbon cutting ceremony, remarks from local officials, and guided tours of the building.
“We owe the success of this project to multiple previous county administrations,” said Commissioner Scott MacFarlane. “Gallatin County leadership has fostered a deliberate conversation with the voters over multiple decades about our emerging need for a courts facility that keeps our employees and the public safe and meets the needs of a quickly growing community. We are grateful that the voters finally coalesced around this facility, which will serve our community for decades to come.”
This milestone marks the culmination of years of effort by local officials and community stakeholders to replace the former Law and Justice Center, an aging, out-of-code former Catholic high school that had long outlived its usefulness. The building, purchased by the county in the 1980s, was not designed to support the responsibilities or the increasing demands of our justice system. It was too small, inefficient, and lacked basic safety standards.
Recognizing the need for change, Gallatin County leaders and justice system partners worked through years of planning, difficult conversations, and even a few setbacks, including multiple failed bond measures, before aligning around a shared vision for safer, more efficient justice facilities.
That vision ultimately took shape as a phased approach to relocating public safety and court services into spaces better suited to the county’s growing needs. Bozeman Police and Municipal Courts moved into the Bozeman Public Safety Center in 2022. Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office operations followed with a transition to a new facility in Four Corners in 2024. Other departments, including Victim Services and 911 Records, also found new homes, paving the way for the final piece: a permanent, purpose-built home for the courts.
Construction began in the fall of 2022 and was completed earlier this year. The 67,000-square-foot Gallatin County Justice Center now houses:
- Four District Court courtrooms
- Two Justice Court courtrooms
- Clerk of Court offices
- Youth Court and Probation
- A Standing Master’s office
- The Self-Help Law Center
- A large public community/jury assembly room
- A dedicated Sheriff’s Office security post
The $46 million Justice Center project was primarily funded by a $29 million bond approved by voters in 2021, with additional contributions from:
- $4.8 million in county general fund money, made available through American Rescue Plan Act funds
- $5 million in county savings
- $3.7 million in bond premium funds
- $3.5 million in financing
This Justice Center is more than just a building. It represents a commitment by Gallatin County to uphold the law, protect public safety, and serve the community with integrity and fairness. It was made possible by the vision and persistence of local leaders, and by the support of voters who recognized the critical need for a facility that meets modern standards for justice and safety.
We hope you’ll join us on June 20 to help celebrate this major achievement for Gallatin County.
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