Stimulus Plan Lacking in Funding for Downtown's Federal Courthouse
Eric Richardson
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This lot at 1st and Broadway has been empty since the old State Building was torn down in early 2007. File Photo from January 2008.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles' new Federal Courthouse is a high priority for the General Services Administration, but that wasn't enough to get the project funded in the recently passed federal stimulus package. The project is eventually slated to rise on an empty lot at 1st and Broadway, but has stalled over a lack of funds.
According to an article in the National Law Journal, the Los Angeles courthouse project would be the top priority of James C. Duff, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, but only "if more than the $300 million for new construction . . . becomes available."
Los Angeles' courts currently house 45 judges in two buildings -- the 1936 U.S. Courthouse at Temple and Spring and the 1991 Edward R. Roybal Federal Building on Temple.
A new courthouse has long been slated to rise on the site of the old State Building at 1st and Broadway, but funding for the project has never been secured. In the interim, costs continue to rise.
From the National Law Journal:
The biggest problem with the proposed Los Angeles courthouse, judges say, is the cost.
"I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic," said U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow of the Central District of California. "I realize that it would be easier to fund some other projects because they're smaller, and the amount of money is not as much as we need."
In December, the new Los Angeles courthouse was estimated to cost $530 million. But last fall, an audit released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the planned building, originally with 41 courtrooms, had escalated to an estimated $1.1 billion and is no longer economically feasible. The audit provided two smaller alternatives, ranging in cost from $282 million to $733 million in additional funds, for a new courthouse.
But Morrow said a scaled-down version, with 36 courtrooms, would not be big enough to replace the two existing courthouses that house about 45 judges — leaving courthouse operations in downtown Los Angeles divided among three buildings, one of which was a WPA project.
The old State building was torn down in early 2007, and the courthouse site has sat as a fenced-off empty lot ever since.
D on March 09, 2009, at 04:20PM – #1
they need to go back to the drawing board. there is no way, no way, it should cost 1.1 billion for a 23 story building. With construction prices crashing, and firms begging for work, we should get this built with half that amount. Also, do it right and build it big enough to house the current need and the future need. its unwise and costs so much more to split it between 2 or 3 buildings. i like the rendering of the building that was to be built, and i hope that we can start building federal buildings that have some architectural substance rather than the bs we got in the 60's 70's and 80's.
Bert Green on March 10, 2009, at 01:17AM – #2
This courthouse was designedt by Ralph Johnson at Perkins and Will in Chicago. Johnson is one of the best (not well known) architects in the US today. At the time it was being designed, costs were spiraling out of control. That has changed. It's true they could probably do it for much less, but to do so they'd have to start from scratch.
D on March 10, 2009, at 11:06AM – #3
If they reassessed the costs of building it now, do you think they can shave off a few hundred million from the costs? the 1.1 billion figure was at the top of the market. I really like the design and i hope to have that built.
Tornadoes28 on March 11, 2009, at 08:18AM – #4
This is surprising. A project pretty much ready to go that would create a lot of construction jobs and it is ignored. However, it does seem absurd that this building should cost so much. There is no way any courthouse should cost over a billion to construct.
Erin Coleman on March 12, 2009, at 09:18AM – #5
Thanks for reporting on this, Eric. Do you have any information on which City of Los Angeles Potential Infrastructure Projects did get approved for funding?
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on March 12, 2009, at 11:29AM – #6
Erin: I attended a Rules & Government committee meeting two weeks ago where they were trying to figure out the answer to that question. The basic answer is that the city's still working to figure out what projects are eligible for what funding.