Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis yesterday formally opened the site which is the centre for Otago and South/Mid Canterbury Community Corrections staff.
The High St facility is spread across multiple levels and will house more than 90 staff in the community corrections probation teams, the community work team, psychologists, the programmes team and regional staff, who manage people on various sentences and orders.
Mr Davis said the facility was aptly named.
"In my mind it means ‘the pathway to improvement’ - it’s a lovely name for this building."
He said when he took over as Corrections Minister, the prison population was "skyrocketing".
At the time, there were about 10,500 inmates and it was expected to reach about 14,000 this year.
However, it was now "hovering" around 8000, he said.
"We don’t shout it from the roof-tops, all the good work that’s happening.
"But the people who are the unsung heroes and go about a lot of the work, working with the 26,000 or so people in the community, are you guys.
"Without you, that prison population would be skyrocketing.
"Not every engagement is a success, and unfortunately some people do go back to prison.
"But a heck of a lot don’t, and it’s because of the work that you all do in your various roles in community corrections.
"So you are unsung heroes in my books, and you deserve to have the best facilities."
