Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse Earns Best Public Project
February 27, 2014
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Just last week, the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse project team was honored with the Los Angeles Business Journal's Commercial Real Estate Award for the 2014 Best Public Project. Clark served as the lead member of the project's design-build team; Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate also was involved in the project's development.
The courthouse is the first civic building in the United States delivered through a social performance-based infrastructure partnership. Under the agreement, Long Beach Judicial Partners financed the project, and will operate and maintain it over a 35-year period. By integrating the expertise of the private-sector team members in the development and partnering, and fast-tracking the design-build process, the team met the goals established by Long Beach Judicial Partners, and delivered the courthouse 11 days ahead of schedule.
The new 531,000 square-foot courthouse replaces an antiquated 55-year-old building located a block away. The new facility includes 31 civil and criminal courtrooms, judges' chambers, jury deliberation and assembly areas, as well as court administration offices. In addition, five LA County justice agencies occupy 100,000 square feet of the building. Secure inmate transfer facilities, detention facilities, and separate secure parking areas for judges, are all located on a below-grade level of the building. Public amenities include a large, architecturally striking secured courtyard with fountains and lush landscaping, as well as a food court and convenience store.
The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse design-build team was not only praised for the design and construction of the building, but also for the revitalization of the downtown Long Beach community. The new courthouse encompasses two city blocks where vacant lots and dilapidated buildings once sat, sparking a wave of urban renewal in the community, improving the quality-of-life for residents, and increasing commerce in the area. During construction, the project team integrated themselves in the community, teaming up with The Willmore City Heritage Association (WCHA) in Long Beach, C.A., to help construct The Children’s Gateway Garden. They also mentored students from Chavez Elementary, located across the street from the jobsite. Additionally, the team pitched in to help Team Capitol D — a collegiate joint venture comprised of students from Washington D.C. schools — as they prepared for the 2013 Solar Decathlon last fall.