The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the Gardner Justice Center on Tuesday, June 12, at 8:30 a.m. This groundbreaking comes less than a year after citizens voted to approve funding for the new facility that will house the Police Department and Municipal Court.

 The Justice Center will sit on approximately six acres of land at the southwest corner of University Drive and Moonlight Road, north of 167^th St. It will be approximately 33,000 square feet in size and will accommodate the existing needs and future growth of the city. The building, once completed, will also improve security, expand training opportunities, and allow for better records storage and evidence space. The facility includes a community room that may be used for training, staff meetings, and if needed, an emergency operations center.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on the construction site where city leaders will speak about project details and perform the traditional turning of the first sod.

 The project is expected to be completed by summer 2019.