The State Public Works Board on Monday approved a land swap between the state and the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA), one of the final hurdles in the plan to open a new Long Beach courthouse between Broadway and 3rd Street. The current courthouse on Ocean Boulevard is outdated and plans have been around to replace it for about two years.
“This approval is a major milestone not only towards breaking ground on the new courthouse, but also for the continued revitalization of our Downtown,” Craig Beck, Executive Director of the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, said in a statement. “The courthouse will be a new civic landmark that will be designed to reflect the unique characteristics of the surrounding Long Beach community, and we’re thrilled to see it moving forward.”
The selection of a developer will be completed in early 2010, and construction should begin a few months afterwards. The building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2012.
“We are working closely with the state to ensure that this new courthouse is sustainable, safe, well designed, and has plenty of parking so that we don’t impact the surrounding neighborhood,” said Councilmember Robert Garcia. “It’s going to be great for Downtown.”
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