It seemed like every Gainesville official was at the public safety complex dedication on Tuesday afternoon.

Applause filled the air as City Council members cut the ribbons for the new building to open on Queen City Parkway - first a blue ribbon in the police department and municipal court lobby and then a red one in the engine bay of Fire Station 1.

"This is leaps and bounds above what they had before, where some officers kept clothes and items in the car that didn't fit in the lockers," City Manager Kip Padgett said with a laugh. "Hopefully we've solved those problems."

City and county officials packed the new municipal courtroom to capacity for the first time, laughing and shaking hands for a project finally complete.

The dedication fell on Gainesville's 189th birthday, and city officials handed out pieces of vanilla and chocolate cake to celebrate. City Council meetings will take place in the courtroom in 2011.

"After 35 years, we knew this facility was long overdue, and with Gainesville's birthday, it's so appropriate that we're all here to celebrate with a new beginning," Mayor Ruth Bruner said. "The fire, police and court staff managed to do their jobs in very cramped quarters but never complained. This will help them to work more efficiently and access the roads easily."

The project started in 2007 when Padgett, former Police Chief Frank Hooper and city officials worked with Don Carter Realty to analyze the 13 acres around the Midtown area. Without having to condemn any of the houses nearby, the city bought the property and began plans to build a new public safety building after 35 years on Jesse Jewell Parkway.

By using design-build for the first time, city workers were able to reduce the timeline by overlapping the design and construction phases of the project and employ local contractors, including Rochester & Associates for engineering plans and Heery International for architecture and construction help.

City officials also planned environmental measures to help the area, including the storm water detention pond next to the fire station, which will help with Flat Creek flows and Midtown development.

"It's a new day for Midtown and strategic public investment," Bruner said. "The retention pond is part of the greenway, and we think the public dollars will lead to private investment very soon."

Moving from a 24,000-square-foot building on Jesse Jewell Parkway to a 52,000-square-foot police and court building and a separate 26,000-square-foot fire station, workers have been excited to move into their new spaces this month.

"It seems hard to believe that we're finally here after breaking ground some time ago," Gainesville Police Chief Brian Kelly said. "It represents a new home for the employees who work hard and a central location for our community's police and court services. I really want to think Chief Hooper for his work in this."

The group of more than 200 people rose to a standing ovation for Hooper, who had a heavy hand in the planning the construction before retiring in 2009. A plaque in the front lobby of the court building honors Hooper's "leadership, vision and founding of the building" when he was police chief from 1998 through January and was part of the police department for 32 years.

"It took a lot of hands to build this place with ideas, debates, starts, stops, delays, rain, rain and more rain," Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada said with a laugh. "Through all that rain, however, Lake Lanier came back to full pool, which sustained our community also."

The fire department received two new shiny red fire engines last week, one of which will stay at the new Fire Station 1, and one of which will move to Fire Station 4 on Memorial Park Road. Both integrate new foam technology for fuel fires and better lighting to see at night.

Canada, who has a construction background, praised the development and layout of both buildings and hopes the community, as well as the local contractors, will be proud of their work.

"It's not just a building or office for our firefighters, who sleep and eat there," Canada said. "We call it a firehouse, and it becomes a second home to us. This is also your firehouse and your public safety complex."

The complex cost the city $20.4 million, with construction starting in early 2009. Special purpose local option sales tax revenue is paying for the project.

Plans now are underway to tear down the old public safety complex and start construction on city's new pedestrian bridge that will connect downtown and Midtown areas.

Evelyn Reynolds, a Gainesville resident who previously owned property where the public safety complex now stands, made it a point to tour the public safety buildings Tuesday. She was one of the first people to line up for a slice of the city's birthday cake.

"It's just awesome. The courtroom looks like a chapel, and even the front of the room looks like a baptismal. I was honored to be here, but I hope I never have to come for court," she said with a smile. "I'm so proud to see how far this has come today."