Family Court ribbon cutting signals new era of juvenile justice in Philadelphia

The ribbon has been officially cut at Philadelphia Family Court’s new building.

But gavels won’t sound in the new courtrooms for about a month.

 

The finishing touches are being put on the nearly $200 million Family Court facility at 15th and Arch streets, and Judge Kevin Dougherty says the building is nothing short of spectacular.

“We had the opportunity to deal with all the experts who built the Criminal Justice Center, and we also discussed it with those who built the Judicial Center in Mechanicsburg,” Dougherty said Thursday during the ceremonies. “And what we were able to do is to learn from their mistakes and advance it for our own personal gain.”

Even though the project had its tough times, the results are great, said Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille.

“We’ve had some roadblocks along the way, a couple of zigzags,” he said. “We were able to overcome everything. And after six years of working on the project from start to finish, it’s probably the most beautiful courthouse in Philadelphia.”

The first cases are expected to be heard in the new facility at the end of November.