Turner Valley court in sesssion this spring

Turner Valleys courthouse is nearing completion and provincial officials say it will be this spring when the building opens its doors to the public, nearly a year after it was first expected to be ready.

The courthouse was supposed to open in the spring of 2013, however, provincial finances and poor weather has pushed the opening to sometime this spring.

Alberta Infrastructure spokesperson Roxanne Nanuan said the project was delayed twice last year, first when the Province announced it would be reviewing all courthouses following their spring budget and again in June when flooding wreaked havoc in the foothills, delaying construction at the site.

The project is on budget, Nanuan said, although the province has not yet given a figure on the total budget for the project.

The building was formerly a courthouse, but was shut down in 1996, when the town bought it to use as their town hall. The Province then bought the building back and an adjacent lot from the town in 2012 for $850,000 to turn reopen a courthouse in the town.

The interior construction work included creating a secured entrance, new bathrooms, bringing the 35-year-old buildings electrical work up to code, installing audio and visual technology, renovating the courthouse area and holding cells and office areas with new paint and carpet. Outside the parking lot was expanded and the roof was replaced, at a cost of $67,821.

Nanuan said construction was completed late this month and now they are working on furnishing the building, installing security cameras and setting up computers.

The moving in process has started, Nanuan said.

Next the site will be turned over to Justice officials, who will need to move in their belongings, she said.

Alberta Justice spokesperson Dan Laville said a move-in date for justice staff, like judges, clerks and crown prosecutors has not been set yet.

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Turner Valley court in sesssion this spring