18 March 2026

Engineering Landmarks in Urban Areas

TEAMING UP FOR A LANDMARK PROJECT: FREDERICTION JUSTICE BUILDING

Led by Bird Construction, the new Justice Building continues to take shape and make its mark on the growing cityscape in Fredericton, NB. The new courthouse consists of six over-height stories, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city at just under 33 metres.

Located on King Street, between Regent Street and Carleton Street, the new 110,000 square foot building will provide the much-needed space required to meet future needs of the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety.

Ocean Steel played a vital role in this project, supplying and installing 950 tons of structural steel, 12 tons of steel joists, and 120,000 square feet of metal deck. When construction occurs on a busy main street in the heart of an urban area—especially for a building destined to become a historical landmark in Fredericton—it’s essential to have an erection team that understands the unique challenges of such an environment.

The Ocean Steel team’s expertise ensures not only precise steel installation but also careful coordination, heightened safety, and minimal disruption to local traffic and businesses. This level of professionalism is key to maintaining schedules and supporting the city’s growth while respecting its vibrant community and future heritage.

Exterior brickwork and precast concrete cladding have progressed, bringing to life the vision developed by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. Strescon Limited will be supplying over 100 architectural precast concrete elements, including sills, headers, columns, cladding panels, and benches. These custom-made components were fabricated using sand and stone local to New Brunswick and expertly finished at Strescon’s manufacturing facility in Saint John.

The majority of precast elements were installed during the winter of 2024. However, construction on the overall project remains in progress. The site is visible from the street for local observers.

Design Notes: “The simple, solid mass of the courthouse is designed in deference to its judicial function and was inspired by the enduring, timeless quality of the many institutional buildings – the Legislature, the Fredericton Region Museum (formerly the Garrison, part of the military compound), the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and the Christ Church Cathedral among them – that have long distinguished Fredericton as a capital city and centre for government, education, military, art and faith. Contemporary applications of stone, brick, copper and concrete work in concert to create a mature, refined expression of traditional building materials and techniques that characterize much of the downtown core.”

source: montgomerysisam.com: Montgomery Sisam as Design Architect in collaboration with courthouse specialist Julian Jaffary, and local Fredericton firm Goguen Architecture.