After more than three years of planning and work, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the Pulaski County Judicial Center on Monday.

The ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the construction site located at 52 Public Square in downtown Somerset.

“I’m very excited,” said Barty Bullock, judge-executive of Pulaski County. “I’m just glad to see it get underway.”

The Kentucky General Assembly authorized the $22.4 million project for Pulaski County in 2005 and approved its funding in 2006. The county was one of 18 to be authorized for such a project at that time.

Garlan VanHook, executive officer of the Department of Facilities for the Administrative Office of the Courts, explained that new judicial centers often replace older, vastly inadequate facilities, greatly increasing the efficiency of services and public flow.

The approximately 78,000-square-foot Pulaski County Judicial Center will include circuit, district and family courts, judges offices, the circuit clerk’s office, probation and parole and those things directly related to the court system.

“All new judicial centers are equipped with the modern infrastructure to support data, computer, video and networking technology,” VanHook said. “They also provide the highest level of Kentucky court security through a single-point entry with magnetometers and security personnel.”

The building will not include offices of the county government. Those offices will remain in the current courthouse.

Work by D.W. Wilburn, the general contractor for the project, began several weeks ago after they were awarded the bid for the project. Meanwhile, Benn-ett Rosser International Architectural Firm designed the center and Ross, Sinclaire & Associates is the financial agent with the project.

The Administrative Office of the Courts, which oversees construction of court facilities statewide, estimates the center will be completed in October 2010.

Among the speakers at the ceremony will be Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr., Justice Daniel J. Venters and Bullock, while other state and local officials including judges, attorneys and Pulaski County Circuit Clerk George Flynn are expected to be in attendance.

The public is invited to attend the ground-breaking ceremony.