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Teton County receives progress updates on General Services Building and Justice Center projects; timelines and contingencies outlined
Summary
County staff and project managers told commissioners the General Services Building is tracking ahead for a June delivery and that the Justice Center is entering entitlement steps, with a targeted demolition start in early 2026 and a roughly 32-month construction schedule.
Project managers and the county's owner's representatives gave commissioners an update on two county capital projects at the March 3, 2025 voucher meeting: the General Services Building (GSB) and the Justice Center.
Jason Berning, representing Berning Project Management, reported the General Services Building is tracking about a month ahead of the contract schedule and is now targeting a June delivery. He said interior work has focused on mechanical, plumbing, electrical and fire sprinklers, and exterior work on sheathing and windows. Berning reported the project currently carries two contingencies: about $27,000 in owner contingency and about $41,000 in construction contingency. He said a change order of roughly $14,000 for additional data/IT ports is included in owner contingency funds because of increased needs for hardwired connections.
On the Justice Center, project staff described the entitlement and permitting timeline: sketch-plan review is under way, staff are responding to town comments and expect sketch-plan approval to move through planning and town council this spring with a potential July milestone. Final development plan and conditional-use permit reviews are expected to take about five months after that, with a target for building-permit submission in December 2025 and an early construction start in 2026 to take advantage of summer construction seasons. The overall construction program for the Justice Center is being shown as roughly 32 months from demolition through final site work, with demolition of the existing structures slated to begin in February 2026 under the current schedule.
Project managers identified primary risks as permitting timing and underground utilities encountered during demolition and site work. Staff said the town of Jackson's building department will outsource building-permit review to a third party, and the county has scheduled meetings with the town building official and the fire marshal to try to reduce back-and-forth review time.
Project teams also said they have advertised for commissioning services and expect proposals in March; commissioning would be under contract during design development if the county pursues LEED certification. Staff reported they will bring a proposal next month for asbestos testing of the courthouse and jail building areas; demolition requires a report less than three years old and there is no record of recent testing for the jail building.
Commissioners were told approximately 63 to 65 percent of the project budget is estimated to go to the building itself, with the remainder covering items such as asbestos abatement, commissioning, architects, permits and other project costs. Project staff said they expect a schematic-design estimate in March and will review a construction estimate and guaranteed maximum price as design progresses.
