Justice Center report to commissioners holds budget at $118.5 million as cushion shrinks

Teton County commissioners will receive the Justice Center's October monthly report today. Project managers Wember and Berning Project Management report that the $118.5 million budget, "which includes all soft costs and contingencies," is still on budget (October update). The accounting table now totals $118,550,000. The extra $50,000 is the public art budget increase that Jackson Hole Public Art committed to cover. Committed costs stand at $110.7 million and incurred costs at $33.1 million. Owner contingency, counting pending costs, is down to $2,833,113.73. That splits into $998,794.73 of construction contingency and $1,834,319 of escalation contingency. Several large items remain pending: a $449,012 clean agent fire protection system for the Sheriff's IT room, a $250,000 security backup power system with "final pricing TBD," a $219,888 passive radon system, and a $140,000 architect construction administration amendment marked "waiting for AIA Document." The fire and backup power items depend on pending transfers from the technology budget. The report lists unknown escalation costs as a risk.

The August 31 report put contingency at $3,048,798.60, and construction incurred costs at $21.2 million (August update). The July report showed $2,973,167.72 (July update). Both reports date the budget to the final guaranteed maximum price that commissioners approved February 17, 2026. The project still carries 26 months of construction ahead of a December 2028 finish, and the "on budget" claim now rests partly on moving technology money into contingency.