MSU students present three design concepts for Belgrade Justice Center

Students and faculty from Montana State University’s Community Design Center presented three design concepts to the Belgrade City Council on proposed plans to convert the existing school building into a Belgrade Justice Center that houses police, court functions and community amenities.

The project team—MSU professors and architecture students—told the council the studio has been working with city staff for roughly a year to understand site constraints and community priorities. "This is wonderful to be here tonight to get to share these designs with you," one faculty presenter said, noting the value of a real community project for the students.

All three schemes respond to the building’s primary design shortcomings: low ceiling heights and poor daylighting. Students proposed a mix of strategies to improve interior light and civic presence, including reorienting and resizing openings, light shelves, central atria or light wells, and selectively raising the lobby and courtroom volumes so the courtroom reads as a civic space. A proposed translucent polycarbonate screen was shown for the courtroom to allow soft daylight while preserving privacy; Corten metal, wood accents and modular systems for maintenance were also presented.

Designers described how the program would be divided: a secured police wing with separate parking and a sally port, a distinct courts wing with jury deliberation rooms and judge chambers, and a community zone that includes a rentable multipurpose room and a cafe at the building’s corner intended to activate adjacent park space. The team emphasized buffering security zones without making the building feel fortress-like.

On circulation and security, the presentations showed separate secure and public circulation paths with secure doors for both the courts and police wings. Parking estimates shown to the council ranged from roughly 24–30 spaces on site, with presenters noting additional street parking and the possibility of covered police parking; they said the number provided exceeds the city code minimum.

Council members asked technical questions about bathrooms, HVAC and utilities. Presenters said the existing school layout includes many small bathrooms (one presenter noted classrooms already contain plumbing) and that the team planned to reuse some existing mechanical spaces in a basement, but they had not prepared a full cost estimate for HVAC upgrades or a complete pro forma for facility rentals.

Presenters also outlined site changes: one option removes a segment of Broadway to create a park and extended pedestrian/bike connections, adds drop-off and fire-lane circulation, and proposes community gardens and seating to open the building to day-to-day public use rather than only court visitors.

City staff said the design studies are intended to inform upcoming budget and capital planning conversations; no formal decision or funding commitment was made at the workshop. The students and faculty will refine the concepts and the council will continue the discussion during future budget and capital improvement planning sessions.

The workshop concluded with council members and staff thanking the design team and moving on to the meeting’s next agenda items.