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Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Dakota County Court Facility opens in Eagan - 1/9/1984Dakota County court facility to open in Eagan by David Siegel A new Dakota County court facility in Eagan opens next week and is expected to unclog the court calendar. The facility should also give clients and lawyers greater privacy and place the court's services where the area's population is concentrated, said Dakota County planner Jeff Connell. The satellite office will have two judges and two cour- trooms. All County Court cases, including pretrial hear- ings, civil and family matters, traffic matters, drunken driv- ing cases, juvenile cases, pro- bation and parole will be handled at the new building, combining the services now spread among three buildings. No jury cases will be heard at this facility. Jury trials will remain at the Dakota County Government Center in Hastings but con- tested court cases, primarily divorces, will move to the new facility. All court services now in the Warrior Building in Burnsville will move to the new facility, which will relieve tremendous overcrowding, said Esther COURT: to p. 4A Photo by Kevin Gutknecht One of the two courtrooms at the new Satelite facility in Eagan. The first court date is scheduled Jan. 16. EAGAN — — — 4■01111b. 11 I - — /loft — L HKUIV1CLL a Current newspaper SECTION A Vol. V, No. 2, Monday, January 9, 1984 Bringing you the news of the people, the neighborhoods and business of Eagan TWO SECTIONS 4A- Above, an outside view of the new court facility on Cliff Road near the Drivers Ex- Photos by Kevin Gutknecht amination Station. Right, Judge Gerald Kalina in his new chamber. New county court facility should unclog schedule COURT: from p. 1A Feldman, District Court ad- ministrator. "They're climb- ing on top of one another to get to files," she said. At the Warrior Building, at- torneys and clients have often been forced to have con- ferences in the halls, said Con- nell. The public could also hear attorneys, judges and clients through the walls there, he said. There should be "much im- proved service just because of a better facility," Connell said. "It is a much better place to go to court." Feldman agreed. "We think it'll be easier for the litigants and the public," she said. The judges will keep offices there on a rotating schedule. Scheduled to open court the first day are Judge George Hoey and Judge Gerald Kalina, Feldman said. The building, just east of the Drivers Examination Station on Cliff Road, was begun in April. Connell said there were no major problems with con- struction, which proceeded on schedule. Projected comple- tion date was Dec. 15 and ac- tual completion was only two weeks later, he said. The building received ap- proval at a final inspection Wednesday morning. Winsor Faricy was the ar- chitect for the building, and R.J. Ryan Construction was the contractor. Costs were pro- jected at $867,000 and the final cost is roughly $871,000, a dif- ference of $4,000, Connell said. "We didn't have any change orders at all, which is kind of surprising." The building, which will house about 20 employees, is located on 111/2 acres the coun- ty owns. It has been built to allow for expansion, if necessary, said Connell. One courtroom can be ex- panded to allow for a jury box for jury trials. With the rapid growth of western Dakota County, expansion is a major concern. The county has also discussed construction of a human services facility on the site. The phone number_ at the new facility is 452 -9500.