Winnebago County transforms vacant building into Family Court Center

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford’s Public Safety Building (PSB) will be turned into a Family Court Center to be used in 2026.

The PSB has sat vacant on Elm St. for over 10 years.

The Winnebago County Board recently received money from the American Recovery Fund and decided to put it towards remodeling the building.

County Board Chairman Joseph Chiarelli said there is an overflow of families in the courthouse, and the new building will allow them to have their own safe space.

“When you have families in crisis and there’s people that are being prosecuted and victims, it’s not a good situation to be in,” Chiarelli said. “This is going to really help the flow of those courtrooms, and we’re really proud of that.”

The first two floors of the PSB will be dedicated to a Family Court Center. The top floor will be used as a police training center. Chiarelli said the building is being put to good use.

“To be able to put these five new courtrooms and other amenities in that building, it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars for the future and for today,” Chiarelli said, “It’s an architecturally sound building. It looks wonderful. This is a milestone for Winnebago County.”

Deputy Court Administrator Nicole Ticknor said she knows the challenges families in the court system face, and she wanted more for them.

“Having to see someone that probably has not treated you nicely is very difficult, especially if you have to bring your kids into the courthouse,” Ticknor said. “We want people to feel like this is a safe place for them to come, that we’ve thought about their safety, that we’ve thought about their comfort.”

Ticknor said she is excited for the building to align with the county’s goals.

“We have a well-respected and well-known court system,” Ticknor said. “We are a mentor court to other courts, especially around the area of domestic violence, and I think it’s going to be nice to have a building that matches our reputation.”

The remodel begins on Monday, May 5th. During this time, the courthouse will have a new main entrance, located at 403 Elm Street.