Although it's

just a short walk from the county's old courthouse to the new justice

center, the difference in the two facilities is light years apart.

County officials

unveiled the $32 million center recently to gasps of "Wow" from

members of the Fayette press corps.

So far, the

justice center features 100,000 square feet of polished wood, color-coordinated

space for the county's judicial employees and lawyers to call home during

the work day.

The center

also features another 50,000 square feet of unfinished space on the third

floor for future expansion, said project manager David Jaeger of Mallet

& Associates.

"We're

extremely pleased with this project. It opened on time and under budget,"

he added.

The center

features space for all court workers, including the judges and support

staff.

Jaeger said

inspiration for the design of the handsome brick structure came from other

judicial centers in Clayton and Douglas counties along with a center in

North Carolina.

Judging by

smiles of employees in the facility, it seems like workers are far happier

than they were in their old cramped facilities across the street.

"We got

a lot of input from the workers on what type of space they needed,"

Jaeger said.

Instead of

conducting mediation in the halls, attorneys and clients now have six

mediation rooms for negotiations.

The center

also features a jury assembly room with comfortable chairs and offices

for all the judges.

Jaeger also

said the center is state of the art when it comes to security. Judges

have their own entrances into the building, and a tunnel leads from the

jail to the justice center to isolate prisoners from the general public.

The design

of the facility also allows the front half to be accessible to the public,

while the back half is secure for judges and staff, Jaeger said.

The center

features four courtrooms, six jury deliberation rooms and a law library.

The center

also has a high energy efficient heating and air system to cut down on

energy costs.

Fayette's justice

center has been open for three weeks, and the employees are thrilled with

it.

"It's

just a wonderful facility, and we're glad to finally be here," said

Clerk of Superior Court Sheila Studdard.