GLASGOW, Ky. — Construction is on track for the new justice center rising along West Main Street in Glasgow.

Members of the Barren County Judicial Center Project Development Board met Wednesday at the Barren County Government Center to receive updates from construction crews and project architects.

“Most of it’s underground, so you don’t see it,” officials said, noting that elevator shafts and stairwells will be the first masonry components expected to take shape in the next phase of construction.

So far, crews have been working on footings and foundation work below the ground base of the building. Footings are large concrete supports poured into excavated areas that help distribute the building’s weight, while the foundation is built on top of those to create the structure’s base.

Exterior footing is about 95% complete, while interior footing was estimated to be about 80% complete, according to construction crews.

“This is kind of a milestone,” said Tim Geegan, executive vice president of Alliance Corporation, who is handling the construction management. “We’re going to start coming up now.”

Crews reported several change orders are in progress, including one related to termite treatment. Another would remove gun lockers from the construction plans and adjust fencing plans after the sheriff’s office indicated it would not use the gun lockers at the courthouse.

Jerry Combs, manager of capital construction for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, said the project’s substantial completion date is currently set for April 17, 2028.

“That’s pending, you know, if they have some change orders that push those dates,” Combs said, noting none of the current change orders have impacted the timeline.

Board members also learned about Multivista, a third-party company that will work at the job site to provide construction photo documentation. Members are expected to get a login to follow the construction process.

“It’s an ongoing documentation process that starts once they start in the ground,” Keegan said.

Vertical construction is nearing, according to the update provided Wednesday.

“That’s a little bit down the road, but everything’s going well,” Keegan said.

Board member Rich Alexander was not present. Judge John Alexander told the board that his absence was due to the recent arrival of a new grandchild.

The next PDB meeting is May 27 at 2:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.

Does Barren County pay to complete this project?

The Kentucky General Assembly allocated funding for projects across the state, including Barren County, meaning no local tax dollars are used for construction.

State courts operate out of facilities in all 120 counties in Kentucky, according to the AOC. Court facilities are owned by local governments, usually counties, which are responsible for managing them.

The county does not pay to operate the courts. Instead, the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts covers its share, often 100%, of construction, maintenance and day-to-day operating costs, including utilities, cleaning and repairs.

Barren County is one of several counties with ongoing justice center construction projects. County governments assist the Kentucky Court of Justice by issuing tax-exempt bonds, which function as loans to fund construction.

“The Administrative Office of the Courts is responsible for overseeing the design, financing and construction of court facilities and pays debt service on the bonds issued by the local government,” according to Kentucky AOC.