More than 100 citizens attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Freeborn County’s new criminal justice center Tuesday. Many of those who were involved in laying out the plan through lengthy and sometimes heated arguments expect the new building to restore community pride, while some people worry about the financial burden the county’s residents will bear for the next 20 years to pay for the $25.7 million project.

&uot;I’m so thankful to all the groups that did work hard to get to this point,&uot; said County Board Chairman Mark Behrends. &uot;What we ended up with here, as a necessity for the county, is badly needed. And it’ll change the look of this community for the better.&uot;

The lineup of those who shoveled the sand on the former Western Grocer Building site included representatives from the city, chamber of commerce, a past citizen advisory committee, symbolizing the project’s significance to the community.

The county spent seven years on planning since it hired Minneapolis architect Jack Boarman of the Boarman, Kroos Vogel Group in 1996.

The course of the project was uncertain as recently as a year-and-a-half ago when new County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen was hired.

&uot;I did not know if there would be a groundbreaking when I got the job. The only thing I was determined to do was assessing all the needs and evaluating the current facilities,&uot; Gabrielsen said.

He examined the possible use of current facilities, including the Western Grocer Building the county had purchased in 2000, and eliminated them from the list. Another discussion was whether the county should maintain the courthouse in downtown or move it into the country.

Gabrielsen believes in his recommendation to the board. &uot;Is it the best solution? Probably not. Is it a good solution? I think so,&uot; he said.

The board’s decision did not come easy.

The first wave of opposition to appear in front of Gabrielsen was a group advocating the preservation of the Western Grocer Building.

The building, with a history of more than a century, was part of the community’s heritage, the group contended. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota chose the building as one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state.

&uot;I still think it’s an absolute shame we had to tear that down,&uot; said Karen Trow, who led the preservation movement as a founding member of Destination: Albert Lea,. &uot;But, there was no love for that building in this town. It was really hard to build up any sympathy for it.&uot;

Another, and stronger, opposition group rose up when the board started discussing the removal of the 1954 building, the rectangular structure connected to the north end of the courthouse complex. The group, predominantly consisting of rural residents, began demanding a public referendum on the project. Although their voices diffused after a failed attempt at litigation to halt the bonding, dissatisfaction with the higher tax bills has been lingering as the economy of the nation remains uncertain.

&uot;The community needs to be involved before things get to the point they did. I think whole a lot of people in the community really weren’t aware of what was going on,&uot; Jeanne Venem of Manchester said. &uot;There are a lot of decisions I don’t think are fiscally responsible. I can’t see this is the time for doing this, but the community supported it … There is not much more we can do.&uot;

Commissioner Glen Mathiason, an Alden farmer, spoke of his mixed feelings.

&uot;Some of my feelings are left to be directed back toward the feelings of my constituents,&uot; he said. &uot;The tax increase will be significant for some farmers. I hate to put that kind of burden on taxpayers.&uot;

While voting against the removal of the ’54 building and the sale of bonds to pay for the project, Mathiason stressed he understands the need for the new jail and courts. &uot;I tried to make the project go forward, but save as much money we could, rather than dragging our feet,&uot; he said.

&uot;You have to accept the defeat on that issue and move on,&uot; Commissioner Dan Belshan, a consistent opponent to the project on the five-member county board, said. &uot;But, the economic impact of the courthouse project on our county is going to be huge.&uot;

Belshan said he would propose a six-month long austere guideline to come up with a borrowing and stringent reserve fund, which includes a moratorium on hiring, limit on overtime, no out-state travel, limited enrollment to seminars and freeze on equipment purchase.