ANN ARBOR - A few things have changed in the law enforcement and justice system since the building now housing the city's police and courts was built in 1963.

Well, maybe more than a few. That's why construction manager Clark Construction and the building trades are in the process of erecting a new police and court building, and then repairing and renovating the 1963 structure that sits next door.

Construction began last spring on the Ann Arbor Municipal Center, and the entire project is expected to be complete in May2011.

The new building at Huron and Ann Streets is going up on a lot on the west side of the Larcom Building, which houses the existing city hall, police and court operations. The new five-story, 103,000-square-foot structure will house the Ann Arbor Police Department on two floors, and 15th District Court on two other floors.

When construction is complete on the new structure and police and court operations have moved in, the next phase will involve complete remodeling of the old Larcom Building's basement (for police lockers and storage) first floor (for public service areas including an expanded lobby and customer service), as well as necessary renovations to the sixth floor (to accommodate staff relocating from leased space elsewhere).

"We're working in a small area, on a tight site, and we're working on the same footprint of land with a completely occupied building, with a fire station next door," said Clark Project Manager Kyle Jobin. "That's the most challenging part of the job."

There are a number of inadequacies of the current police/court setup. According to city documents justifying the new construction, the current court space, in the Washtenaw County Courthouse, does not separate the public from potentially violent offenders, does not provide adequate security for prisoner transport nor does it allow for sufficient holding space during court proceedings. The courts also have increased space needs over the years due to increased caseloads.

Police services are currently located in an area of the Larcom City Hall that is "badly deteriorating and requires significant infrastructure updates," city documents said. The area has insufficient meeting and interview space, and oftentimes after it rains, the ceiling leaks. There are air quality issues and black mold in many areas of the police facility. The new construction and renovation will bring the people of Ann Arbor much more respectable public space.

"The Ann Arbor Municipal Center construction project is a product of years of debate and exploration into the housing of the 15th Judicial District Court, which under Michigan Law, the City of Ann Arbor is required to fund, as well as addressing inadequate space for Ann Arbor Police Services, which have been housed in the Larcom City Hall building since 1963," said Ann Arbor City Administrator Roger Fraser. "The new building…will better serve our citizens by allowing consolidation of all City downtown staff and services into one central location."

Said Jobin: "It's a nice project, it's going well. The trades, the subcontractors, I can't complain about anything at all. They've been great."

THE BUILDING TRADES are erecting a much-needed addition to Ann Arbor's City Hall - and then much of the City Hall building will be renovated.

IRON WORKERS 25's Dave Hawkins installs metal decking on the 103,000-square-foot addition to the Ann Arbor Municipal Center.