The long-awaited Teton County Justice Center just took a decisive step forward. On Wednesday, June 18th, the Town of Jackson Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the project’s conceptual sketch plan, pushing the $88 million courthouse-and-jail complex closer to reality.
Funded by the 2024 voter-approved Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET), the 80,000-square-foot, three-story center would sit on the northeast corner of Simpson and King. When finished, it will consolidate county courts, the Sheriff’s Office, 911 dispatch, the detention center and other public-safety functions under one roof—replacing facilities that date back to the 1960s and ’80s.
Commissioners, however, echoed concerns raised earlier by the town’s Design Review Committee about the building’s “scale and massing.” Architect Katie Wilson praised its civic presence yet worried that, from a pedestrian’s perspective, the façade could feel monolithic. Fellow commissioner Mark Newcomb noted the project’s critical role in public health and safety but urged the design team to break up the bulk and enhance the street-level experience.
Project architect James Taylor of Anderson Mason Dale said his team has already added setbacks, varied materials and streetscape elements to soften the structure, acknowledging, “We’re self-conscious of the size.” Public/semi-public zoning allows greater height and square footage for civic buildings, though town regulations still require responsiveness to the surrounding neighborhood.
Unlike typical large developments, interior floor plans were withheld from public packets for security reasons—a move allowed under state statute. Senior Planner Tyler Valentine said partial plans may be released later.
The sketch-plan endorsement now heads to the Jackson Town Council for a final decision this summer. If the council grants approval, designers will submit a detailed development plan, followed by permitting and—potentially—groundbreaking in 2026.
While the Justice Center advances, town officials are also weighing other sizable projects, including a 245,000-square-foot hotel-condo complex on North Cache, highlighting Jackson’s ongoing balancing act between growth and community character.
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