(KNSI) – Stearns County closed on the property near County Roads 134 and 75 that will become the new Justice Center on Monday.
On its Facebook page, the county posted a picture of Auditor-Treasurer Randy Schreifels, Board of Commissioners President Jeff Bertram, and Building Facilities Manager Kevin Korneck with pen in hand, as they signed the purchase agreement for the land. The county had to wait until the City of St. Cloud agreed to annex the property from neighboring St. Joseph Township before it could finalize the agreement.
County officials spoke in favor of that move at the St. Cloud City Council meeting on December 15th. The unanimous vote paved the way for the deal, which Administrator Mike Williams thought could happen later that week. Instead, it took until the first full week of 2026.
The project is being paid for through a 3/8-cent sales tax. Construction costs are estimated at $313 million for the 482,000-square-foot center, which will feature a jail and court tower.
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