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Sherburne County Government Center Grand Opening to Celebrate Expansion

Posted: Monday, June 4, 2018

The Sherburne County Judicial Services Building, which is the government center of Sherburne County, and is located at 13880 Business Center Drive in Elk River, MN, has been expanded, and will open for public use on June 11. 
 
A grand opening ceremony has been scheduled for June 6, 2018, at 3 p.m.:
  • Lisa A. Fobbe, the Chair of the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners, will welcome visitors to the ceremony.
  • Presentations will be made by Sherburne County District Court Judge Mary Yunker and Sherburne County Administrator Steve Taylor.
  • The National Anthem will be sung by the Elk River High School Select Choir.
  • A flag raising will be performed by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard.
  • The ceremony will conclude with a ribbon cutting outside the entrance, performed by local elected officials involved in the expansion, including judges, County commissioners, the County Attorney, and the Sheriff, as well as Court Administrator Patricia Kuka, the director of Community Corrections, and the construction managers. 
  • Refreshments will be available at the ceremony.
  • Tours of the expanded facility will be available from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Media are welcome to attend the event, and will be able to use cameras in non-secure areas, such as the courtrooms.
 
The new Judicial Services Building is approximately 100,000 square feet, including five new courtrooms, judges’ chambers, inmate delivery and holding, and office space for Court Administration, Community Corrections, and the County Attorney. There is also space for two additional future courtrooms. The addition has improved security and includes updated technology for visitors and staff.
 
A unique design feature of the building is its use of natural light. The courtrooms are designed to let in light above the judge’s benches, which is something not found in most courtrooms in the state. The jury assembly room has also been designed as a multi-use space. Not only can it be used by jurors summoned to court, but also for county and public trainings and other general purposes.
 
The new Sherburne County’s Judicial Services Building is also the first in the state designed for a paperless court. The judges no longer use paper files, and the new Court Administration office is designed with no designated space for a paper file room. 
 
The Building has also been designed for ease of public use, with many services available at the entrance: 
 
  • Public computer access terminals
  • The Sherburne County Law Library
  • Self-help litigant services for members of the public representing themselves in court
  • Court Administration service windows
  • Court calendar check-in
  • The Jury Assembly room
  • Jury kiosks for jurors to check-in
  • Electronic court calendar displays for the public to find which courtroom their case is being heard in   
This project is another expansion of a facility originally constructed in 1980, when the offices of the Sheriff, the County Attorney, Social Services, and the District Court moved to Business Center Drive from downtown Elk River. Prior expansions were in 1988 and 1994.