I recently attended the grand opening of the Livingston County Law and Justice Center in Pontiac, Illinois. The center was a major project for our firm, and involved both the Elgin and Peoria offices. Our team worked on this government facility for two and a half years, and I looked forward to the community’s celebration last month.

I value the opportunity to attend ribbon-cuttings and building dedications like this. It gives me a chance to hear people’s impressions as they walk through a building, often for the first time. The grand opening for the Livingston County Law and Justice Center had the largest community turn-out I’ve ever seen for an event like this. There were well over 200 people there, along with Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, state legislators, and even the high school band.

The comments people made as they walked through the building were especially interesting to me. They remarked on the major elements, such as the spacious two-story lobby with its polished terrazzo floor. But many of their comments focused on building details, such as the millwork in the courtroom, the colors used throughout the spaces, and the quality of the systems furniture and the interior finishes. One person even complimented the design of the sally-port.

When a project shines right down to its details, it’s all about the team behind it. In our case, we had a knowledgeable client, an engaged community, and a dedicated design team led by our principal-in-charge, Daniel Atilano. We were also fortunate to have a high-quality construction team committed to the job, including the masonry, millwork, and tile/terrazzo subcontractors. The hard work of all of these people is what led to the community’s positive first impressions—and for me, a lasting impression of a great project.