TROY – Four years and $2.5 million produced the first major expansion of Troy City Court in 17 years, work that has added another courtroom and provided more space for Rensselaer County’s busiest court.

“A community’s commitment to justice is reflected in the resources dedicated to the delivery of justice,” City Court Judge Matthew J. Turner said Friday afternoon.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new court space at 51 State St. drew judges, lawyers and city officials. It was the culmination of a project that revamped both the Troy Police Department offices and the City Courts.

State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin, the administrative judge of the 3rd Judicial District, reminded those in attendance that the courthouse was for all the people who come to court, not just for the judges and attorneys who serve as its officers.

Initially, Troy officials weren’t delighted by the prospect of investing in new court facilities. But with the arrival of a second full-time judge in 2015, when City Court Judge Jill A. Kehn took office, the city had to provide office and courtroom space to house what is an increasingly busy court — so busy that it’s allocated two full-time and one three-quarter-time judgeships

“City court sees more people in court than any other court in the county,” said City Court Judge Christopher T. Maier.

Troy City Court had 16,838 cases filed in 2017, according to the state Unified Court System’s 2017 annual report. Maier and Kehn are the full-time judges, with Turner filling the part-time post.

The city first produced a budget of $1.5 million for its court expansion project. This included money to acquire and convert 1700 Sixth Ave. to house the city police administration and detective bureau. Those police operations had to be moved from the second floor of the police station at 55 State St. to provide second-floor space to make room for the courthouse to expand to have two judicial chambers, two handicapped-accessible courtrooms, the court clerk’s office and other space needed for the expanded court operations.

The project costs swelled to $2.5 million, according to city records. Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski said the cost overruns were due to the original projects being made on preliminary design documents; asbestos removal costs; a new roof needed at 1700 Sixth Ave.; and the purchase of that building.

The city received a $500,000 state grant to offset 20 percent of the construction costs.

“This was a challenging project,” Mayor Patrick Madden said, adding that it took two mayors and four City Councils to move from beginning to end.

Even so, the end product “is absolutely amazing,” Madden said.

Maier said the second courtroom on the second floor has improved court operations by making it easier to schedule jury trials. Maier and Kehn operate out of their second-floor chambers, while Turner’s chambers and courtroom are on the third floor.

At one time, Troy's city courthouse was the downtown fire station. City Hall also was located in the building complex before it moved to 1 Monument Square in the mid-1970s.