The justice system at the Jamestown S’Klallam tribal campus is moving from a basement to a shiny new facility.

Dignitaries with golden shovels broke ground on May 5 on the tribe’s Public Safety and Justice Center.

The $2 million, 5,000-square-foot building on Sophus Road near the Longhouse Market & Deli will house a tribal courtroom, classroom, conference room and pop-up emergency operations center, Chief Operating Officer Annette Nesse said.

It will have space for Jamestown law enforcement and a Clallam County sheriff’s deputy.

The Jamestown Public Safety and Justice Center is expected to be completed in seven months.

“By the end of the year, we will be able to have a grand opening and open the doors to a very nice, nice new facility that will be a great complement to the Jamestown campus,” said Ron Allen, tribal chairman and CEO.

“It’s exciting. We’re trying to do things to be a real complement to the county and to the community.”

At the Jamestown campus in Blyn, law and justice operations are carried out in the old council chambers and administrative offices that are too small for police and court staff.

“The prosecutor just kind of hangs out in the conference room right now, so he’ll have a place to go,” Police Chief Rory Kallappa said.

“The judge will have a place to go. I can’t tell you how many people are excited about this building going up.”

Said Allen: “We’re pulling Rory and his team out of the basement.”

“For those who don’t know, he barely fits,” Allen added.

Hoch Construction of Port Angeles is the primary contractor. Jamestown Excavation and a variety of local subcontractors will be involved in the project, Nesse said.

The tribe secured a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help pay for the justice center. The tribe will use discretionary funds to cover the rest, Nesse said in a Friday interview.

Theresa Lehman, one of five Jamestown S’Klallam council members, thanked and congratulated the tribe’s planning committee for bringing the project to life.

Allen touted the “great relationship” the tribe has with the county. The Sheriff’s Office patrols tribal lands under a longstanding agreement with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

“It’s a partnership,” Allen said.

Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict and Undersheriff Ron Cameron attended the ceremony.

Other dignitaries at the event included state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, and Clallam Commissioner Mark Ozias.

“I think what I’m most excited about with regard to this partnership is what we at Clallam County will be able to learn as we have more exposure to the tribal justice system and your way of thinking about justice,” Ozias told Allen.

“I fully expect that that will be a two-way partnership, which I’m excited about.”

Allen said the new facility will help the tribe deal with difficult cases that involve Indian Child Welfare, sensitive family disputes and natural resource violations.

The sun-splashed ceremony began with a blessing by Elaine Grinnell, Jamestown elder, storyteller and historian.

Grinnell said the Public Safety and Justice Center will provide guidance to those in need.

“A long time ago, when we had a person in the community that could not get along with his other people, or those around him, they would put them in a canoe and then push it out with one day of food,” Grinnell said.

“They said: ‘Nevermore to return, because you’re a disruption in our community here, in our village.’

“Now look at us,” Grinnell continued.

“Now we all are all working together, and now we can give guidance with the help of the good Lord. We can give them the guidance that they need.”

Rob Ollikainen is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

Officials and dignitaries break ground at the site of the future Jamestown S’Klallam public safety and justice center in Blyn on Saturday. Taking part in the ceremony were, from left, tribal police chief Rory Kallappa, tribal council member Theresa Lehman, Craig McClelland of KMB Architects, tribal construction manager Kirk Nelson, tribal council Chairman Ron Allen, Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias, State Rep. Steve Tharinger and Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)