Washington County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new forty-one-million-dollar Public Safety building Thursday afternoon. The three-story facility will replace the Courthouse Square building on Beau Street. Commission Chair Nick Sherman says that this is a new beginning, and he believes taxpayers are willing to pay for public safety. Sherman explains that all three floors will be utilized for 9-1-1 operations, the sheriff’s office, and court relations. Commission Vice Chair Electra Janis explains that the old building was not structurally sound, and the best option was to knock it down and start over. Janis views the Public Safety building as an investment into the future. Commissioner Larry Maggi announced that he would not attend the ceremony due to concerns regarding the condition of the site and the cost of the project. Massaro Corporation is the lead prime general contractor for the project. President Steven Massaro says that the responsibility of using the right labor and developing a great building for the taxpayers is motivating. Massaro says there is still more demolition to be done, and then they can move into excavation and the foundation for the building. He expects the project to get started in about 30 days and be completed 18 months after that.