A short distance away down narrow stairs are five glass cells fitted with stainless steel sinks and toilets that are overlooked by security cameras and a central viewing room for the Department of Correctional Services.

“This is the only view I want of these,” an Orange City Council employee quipped on an inspection of the site yesterday.

When scaffolding came down from around the Byng St building on Saturday Orange residents got their first real look at the CBD’s most expensive building since the 1991 construction of NSW Agriculture. And initial responses are positive.

The $6 million justice centre due for completion in October is a study in contrasts not the least being its imposing size standing behind the grand James Barnet designed courthouse, which was completed in 1883.

The steel reinforced cells in the basement will be linked by one of two lifts to the Tasmanian oak lined courtrooms on the ground and first floors of the 4000 square metre building.

The building includes a two metre square one metre deep hole in the foyer that will eventually be covered with a glass viewing panel.

Underneath the glass lie the foundations that held up the courthouse and lock up between 1848 and 1854. Across one side of the pit runs a metre-long piece of orange conduit that carried power to the Barnet courthouse from about 1980.

While leaving the orange pipe exposed among 150-year-old relics might seem inappropriate, archeologist Dana Mider was quick to point out the cable carrier, like the stone foundations, was part of the site’s story.

Ms Mider was responsible for an archeological dig that took place in January 1999 before construction went ahead.

This uncovered foundations and 38,000 artifacts that will be stored in a purpose-built room.

The artifacts, including coins and crockery, will at times be placed on display and will be used for tourism and education in conjunction with a computer software package that includes “virtual” tours of some of the buildings that stood on the site.

The software can be accessed at the Visitor Information Centre.

The new centre was designed by architect Dr Peter Armstrong of Sydney firm Gutteridge, Haskins and Davy with the intention of keeping police, witnesses, court staff, and the public separated until they meet in court.

It meets those requirements but more importantly for Orange City Council’s heritage planner Heather Nicholls the building, despite its size, is sympathetic to the streetscape.

She said the original plan was for the centre to be built in exposed brick but following council intervention the Attorney General’s Department agreed to render it so it better matched the James Barnet courthouse.

“I’m really pleased with the outcome,” she said.

Wood paneling, a feature in most old courthouses, will be used throughout but there will be subtle and at times unseen differences.

Local and district court magistrates will sit above the court room floor behind Tasmanian oak benches but these stages of justice will have the hidden benefit of being bullet proof to protect officers of the court.

Colin Joss and Company site manager Wayne Taylor said there were some delays caused by wet weather last year but construction was continuing at pace and the building should be completed in October.

CJC is pulling down a wing on the southern side of the old courthouse, which will be replaced by a closed in walkway joining the old and new. Archeological core samples will be taken from underneath the floor before construction goes ahead.