Kingsport BMA tours Justice Center, gets construction update

KINGSPORT — Members of the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen were able to see the latest progress on Justice Center renovations during a tour Monday afternoon. Aldermen Gary Mayes, James Phillips, Colette George, Vice Mayor Darrell Duncan, City Manager Chris McCartt and Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds all participated in the tour. Representatives with CainRashWest Architects, Preston Construction Co. and the Kingsport Police Department were on hand to answer questions as well. Nearly two years since the first phase of construction started in September 2024, the $19 million project is on track to be completed by mid-2027. The two-story, 17,626 square-foot addition will be added onto the existing building. "It's at an exciting spot. We've finished the exterior, we've finished the actual building itself, and now we have begun finishing that section — we call that phase one," Kingsport Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds said. We anticipate phase one really wrapping up in the next month, month and a half." McReynolds noted that the first floor of the Justice Center is really a city project, as it deals with housing the Kingsport Police Department. The second floor covers some of the county functions like courtrooms. "Phase two, once we finish the section we have built in phase one, then we will begin moving the judges' offices, their courtrooms, so we can then refresh what exists here," he said. "That's on the second floor. Same thing on the first floor. We'll be moving the police department around, so the work that needs to be done in phase two, the existing portion of the building, can begin." The expansion will bring all of the court functions under one roof, add two courtrooms and provide additional space for KPD. All of this while the city aims to continue providing its regular services at the Justice Center as uninterrupted as possible, McReynolds commented. "That's what makes this such a difficult build, but really interesting in that all the functions here, the courtrooms, we're trying to not miss any court dates," he said. "We're trying to keep the court 100% occupied at all times. The judge's ruling [at the] same time. Every activity the police is doing, they're still doing daily, and will be doing through phase two." Safety concerns The city previously mentioned the improvements will provide a separate elevator for staff and judges at the Justice Center, increase handicap-accessible parking spaces and offer a redesigned check-in area for visitors. McReynolds stressed safety as a major part of the renovations. "We've separated those that work here — whether it's judges, police, the staff, and the court system — from the general public, who needs to be safe as well," he said. "The staff need to be able to access an elevator that they know it's going to be only them, and then the public also the entryway, the bailiffs have a much safer location to screen people." According to McReynolds, upgrades to the Justice Center are a component of Kingsport's long-term plans that have been in place for about 10 years. Vice Mayor Darrell Duncan said it was great to see the progress being made firsthand through the tour. He said the BMA did hear concerns about safety inside the Justice Center from citizens before the project began. "We've talked about this for a long time, and we're getting closer," he said. "We're still a little ways out. Then as we migrate from this building over to the other building, we're probably still about a year out. But it's exciting to see the work that we've done and the use of the citizens' money." Background At an April 2026 meeting, the Kingsport BMA unanimously approved the recommendation to name the courthouse at the Justice Center after the late Judge John S. McLellan III. The recommendation came at the request of the Kingsport Bar Association, Sullivan County Judges and citizens of Kingsport/Sullivan County. The Sullivan County Commission voted in favor of the same item during their April 16 meeting. The Justice Center initially opened in February 1989, after several years of the facility's operations being up in the air. A referendum on the June 1978 ballot included a $13 million bond for the Justice Center and widening-realignment of Eastman Road, which was ultimately turned down by the voting public at that time.