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New $152M courthouse in Abbotsford slated to open in January

Abbotsford Law Courts will house 14 courtrooms, including three Supreme
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Construction on the new Abbotsford Law Courts is nearing competion, with the project expected to open to the public in January. (Kevin MacDonald photo)

The province’s first new courthouse in a decade is slated to open in Abbotsford in January 2021.

The Abbotsford Law Courts (ALC) – located at Trethewey Street and Veterans Way in the civic precinct – is expected to open to the public on Jan. 18, according to a notice posted on the website for the Courts of British Columbia.

The court is slated to begin hearing trials on Feb. 1, the notice states.

The new 180,000-square-foot four-storey ALC will house 14 courtrooms – eight provincial, three Supreme and three initial appearance/conference rooms.

In addition, the project includes a separate 336-stall parkade adjacent to the courthouse.

The facility plans also incorporate justice programs such as the BC Prosecution Service, Community Corrections and a Justice Access Centre.

Groundbreaking on the $152 million project took place in July 2018 to replace the aging leased courthouse on South Fraser Way, which was found to be infested by vermin and plagued by functional, overcrowding, security and safety issues, according to a 2014 report.

RELATED: With new courthouse, Abbotsford legal community finally gets to ‘kick that football’

RELATED: Plans to replace ‘vermin-infested’ Abbotsford courthouse may be revealed in 2017

That building was constructed as a single-room courthouse in 1967 and has been renovated over the years to its current configuration of five provincial courtrooms and two initial appearance/conference rooms.

Plenary PLC Justice was selected as the project proponent to design, build, finance and maintain the new courthouse under a 30-year concession.

The project is being funded through a mix of public and private financing.

The new courthouse is expected to have the capacity to meet provincial and Supreme court demand in Abbotsford and the lower Fraser Valley through 2035.

But the project has been developed to meet future demands, with two of the conference rooms being designed for use as fully functioning courtrooms.

The ALC is on land leased to the Ministry of Citizens’ Services by the City of Abbotsford.

RELATED: $150 million new courthouse on the way for Abbotsford



vhopes@abbynews.com

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An artist’s rendering shows the completed Abbotsford Law Courts in the area of Trethewey Street and Veterans Way. The project is slated to open in January 2021.


Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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