Groundbreaking Held for New Teton County Justice Center

Teton County, Wyo., officials and project partners gathered May 11 to break ground on the new 80,000-square-foot Teton County Justice Center project. | Photo Credit: Teton County

• Teton County officials and project partners held a groundbreaking May 11 for the Teton County Justice Center.
• The county said the project is backed by 2024 voter-approved Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) funding.
• Wember and Berning Project Management are serving as owner’s representatives; DPR/GE Johnson are construction partners; and Anderson Mason Dale and CLB are architects.
• The county said construction is on track, with completion expected in summer 2028.

JACKSON, Wyo. – Teton County, Wyo., formally launched construction of its planned Teton County Justice Center earlier this month, with elected officials, county staff, project partners and community members gathering May 11 for a groundbreaking ceremony.

The new 80,000-square-foot facility will combine the services of the county’s District Court, Circuit Court, Clerk of Court, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff’s Office, Dispatch and Detention Center under one roof.

County officials said the project is intended to modernize space for justice operations and is funded in part through a voter-approved tax measure.

In a May 12 press release, Teton County representatives said the event marked “a major milestone in a project years in the making,” as the jurisdiction begins work on the.

“More than a construction project, the Teton County Justice Center represents a once-in-a-generation investment in safety, access to justice, and community pride,” read the press release.

The county credited a multi-organization team supporting the build, naming Wember and Berning Project Management as owner’s representatives, DPR Construction and GE Johnson as construction partners, and Anderson Mason Dale and CLB as architects.

Teton County also pointed to community support for the project through 2024 voter-approved Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) funding, which will contribute approximately $88 million in funding for the estimated $120 million project.

The county said the facility will provide “modern, safe, functional, sustainable and accessible space” for staff and operations.

Planning for a potential new facility began after a 2018 energy audit, a 2019 facilities assessment and a 2020 structural analysis summary of the county’s existing courthouse and detention center identified substandard energy infrastructure, security concerns, lack of ADA spaces and structural deficiencies.

The county said its existing 45-bed detention center had reached the end of its expected useful life and would have required significant funding to operate and maintain the facility in the future. It also highlighted challenges with required sight and sound separation between in-custody populations, as well as inadequate staff operations area, which the new detention center is expected to address.

By 2023, the county said the project team had developed a full-scope concept design and conducted test fits and site studies, which were amended in 2024 to include more sustainable project strategies, as well as a reduction from the original 90,000-square-foot design to better blend the new facility in with the smaller surrounding buildings.

Plans for the new justice center were officially approved by the Jackson Town Council in January of this year. Demolition of the county’s existing courthouse began earlier this year, with modular buildings installed at the site to host county court functions while the new center is being built. The county said construction of the new justice center is expected to be completed in summer 2028.

This article is based on information in a press release published by Teton County, Wyo., on May 12, 2026.