An article on the website of the Wall Street Journal today takes a look at the effort to build a new courthouse in Long Beach, which is attracting national attention because the public-private partnership is an experiment in building large structures in the midst of budget crunches.
Click here to read the article, which says that all eyes will be on Long Beach in the coming months, as the process being used here could be copied by other cities and states that are having construction issues due to budget shortages.
The proposed Long Beach Courthouse would be the first courthouse in the nation to be built under a public-private partnership.
A passage from the article by Bob Sechler:
California officials estimate the cost of the 31-courtroom Long Beach facility at upwards of $300 million if built conventionally using tax dollars or bond funds. Instead, the privatization plan calls for the state to lease back the facility under a 35-year agreement.
The selected private operator will own the building until it reverts to the state after the duration of the deal. The operator will be able to add “compatible” retail space as well, which could include things such as coffee shops or copy centers.
So what happens next? The article states that three private firms are submitting design plans on December 9, and that the state Administrative Office of the Courts will consider the options and select a bidder in February 2010. The courthouse is slated to open in late 2012. Plans call for the courthouse to be located between Broadway and 3rd Street downtown.