New Stearns County Justice Center is Officially Set for Construction

(KNSI) – Day one for the future of Stearns County justice has officially begun.

The county held a groundbreaking ceremony for its soon-to-be-constructed Justice Center on Thursday, June 11. The center, according to numerous county officials, will address long-standing issues at some of the county’s most notable buildings, including its jail and courthouses.

Among the speakers at the ceremony were Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka and County Administrator Mike Williams. Williams said discussions about a new center began roughly 15 years ago, coinciding with remodeling efforts at the county jail. Those efforts, he said, were intended as a five-year fix but were repeatedly extended as the need for more space at the jail and courthouse, as well as repairs to the county attorney’s office, grew.

The new facility will feature a single-floor jail with 270 beds, the county attorney’s and sheriff’s offices and 11 courtrooms. An area for inmate health care will also be included. The Sheriff’s Office will have public-facing offices and training areas on the first floor, with additional office space on the second floor. The project will be funded through a 3/8-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2024.

While construction is anticipated to take a few years, Soyka said he hopes development does not stop once the building is complete. Additional courtrooms, a juvenile holding facility and a mental health facility, created in partnership with St. Cloud-based CentraCare, are among the expansions he would like to see added in the future.

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