An artist’s rendering of the city of Long Beach’s up-and-coming new courthouse, for which construction ceremonially began Thursday. Photo courtesy of Meridiam Infrastructure.
Friday, April 8, 4:45pm | Courtesy of the office of 4th District L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe, a video of Thursday’s ceremony celebrating the start of construction on the city’s future new courthouse to be named after former Gov. George Deukmejian can be viewed by clicking here. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 7, 5:01pm | City, county and state officials celebrated the start of construction Thursday on the city of Long Beach’s up-and-coming new courthouse in downtown Long Beach.
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye served as the event’s keynote speaker. Other officials who shared a few words included state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, state Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, Supervisor Don Knabe, Mayor Bob Foster and Administrative Director of the Courts William C. Vickrey.
“This courthouse was a great collaborative effort from state, county, local agencies and private industry for a much needed capital improvement,” Foster said. “Turning an empty lot into the location for a new courthouse is another example of our Redevelopment Agency’s work of transforming blighted areas into a place that will bring both jobs and neighborhood revitalization to Long Beach.”
Also on hand during the groundbreaking ceremony was the man for whom the new facility will be named, former California Gov. George Deukmejian, a resident of Long Beach.
The $490 million courthouse will replace the current L.A. County Superior Court building, which is 51 years old and has been rated as one of the state court system’s most rundown facilities.
The new courthouse will span two entire city blocks between Broadway and Third and Maine and Magnolia avenues. Officials said the state-of-the art-design is expected to Improved both access and security. And with 31 courtrooms, more than double the number of courtrooms in the current courthouse, the new facility is expected to boost the efficiency of court operations.
The project will also renovate the courthouse parking structure on Magnolia, expanding the number or parking spaces to more than 900.
Construction of the new courthouse, which is expected to be finished in 2013, is being completed via an innovative arrangement referred to as performance-based infrastructure. This public-private partnership leverages the private sector’s access to capital and various expertise through a 35-year agreement between the state and a consortium known as Long Beach Judicial Partners.
LBJP is responsible for raising 100 percent of the capital needed to fund the project, as well as design, build, operate and maintain the new building. Members of the consortium include Meridiam Infrastructure, AECOM, Clark Construction Group, Edgemoor Real Estate Services and Johnson Controls.
While the state owns the land and the building throughout the 35-year agreement, it will begin making service payments to the consortium beginning when the court occupies the new facility.
Councilman Robert Garcia, in whose district the new courthouse will be located, declared it the “single most significant project to happen in downtown Long Beach in the last decade” in a prepared statement.
The project is expected to employ roughly 400 construction and trades workers.
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