Stanislaus courthouse construction begins. How the decade-long project got here
More than a decade after plans for a new courthouse in Modesto began taking shape, construction on the $345,355,000 project on Tenth Street is finally underway.
Budget woes delayed progress on the project for many years. It started with a price tag of $278.2 million in 2010 and ultimately increased by 24 percent due to inflation, an increase in construction costs and the addition of finishing three courtrooms out of five that were originally going to be shelled, or left unfinished.
While a new Stanislaus Superior courthouse was designated among the highest priority projects in 2010, funding for courthouse projects had already begun to dry up. During the Great Recession, $1.4 billion in court user fines and fees originally designated by the legislature for court construction were transferred to the state’s General Fund, redirected to help pay for court operations.
According to Stanislaus Court Executive Officer Hugh Swift, the State Judicial Council had to cancel two courthouse projects and postpone others.
“After several years of funding shortfalls and delays, the judicial branch was finally able to start moving forward again on new courthouse construction projects,” Swift said.
The state eventually changed the way it funds new courthouse construction projects, pulling instead from the general fund, according to State Judicial Council spokesman Blaine Corren.
The state in the 2018-19 budget committed funds to finish 10 critically needed new courthouse projects, including the new Stanislaus courthouse in Modesto.
Here’s a look back at the history of the courthouse project:
Early 2000: A master plan calls for renovating the existing Modesto and Turlock courthouses. The Modesto courthouse, built in 1958, was to be renovated in phases on the existing site, adding more floors to make it as high as eight stories and house 40 courtrooms. Then-Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh in 2014 told The Bee the plan was ultimately nixed because judges didn’t want to deal with all the noise and inconvenience of construction for the three or four years it would have taken to rebuild.
September 2002: The Trial Court Facilities Act (Sen. Bill 1732) is enacted. The act provides for the shift of responsibility for trial courthouses from county to state governance, under the direction of the Judicial Council.
June 2010: Upgrades to the courthouses in Modesto and Turlock are designated among the highest priority projects for the state judicial branch.
July 2010: The Stanislaus courthouse project is authorized for initial funding for the site acquisition phase.
February 2012: State Public Works Board approves the site on Tenth Street between G and H streets. A second site at I and 13th streets, where The Modesto Bee then had offices (now occupied by the Stanislaus County Office of Education), had also been considered.
February 2013: The State Judicial Council approves site acquisition to move forward but delays the start of the architectural preliminary plans due to the state’s fiscal crisis.
April 2014: Modesto City Council votes to buy the properties and land at the Tenth Street site for $4.5 million and sell it back to the state at a price of $5,580,490. The purchase was completed six months later. While the city stood to gain $1 million on the deal, it ultimately received about a quarter of that after subsidizing the purchase of some of the properties from owners like Gervasoni’s Restaurant and paying their moving expenses.
July 2014: The architectural preliminary plans phase is funded.
January 2016: Architectural preliminary plans phase begins with start of Schematic Design.
August 2016: The Judicial Council directs the project to complete architectural plans then hold on the project due to budget shortfalls.
June 2018: The State Public Works Board approves architectural preliminary plans.
December 2017: Work starts on demolishing the boarded-up buildings at the new courthouse site, at a cost of $2 million.
June 2018: Funding for construction of the Modesto courthouse is included in the state budget. The original appropriation for construction funding was $279.3 million.
July 2020: The 2020-21 budget includes an additional $13.2 million in funding for the Stanislaus courthouse to build out three of five shelled courtrooms for all authorized judicial officers as well as provide precast concrete on the facade.
May 2021: State Department of Finance approves architectural working drawings and proceeding to bid for construction.
September 2021: State appropriates an additional $52.8 million in construction funding to cover increased construction costs.
December 2021: Courthouse construction begins.
December 2024: Estimated construction completion of the 309,284 square foot, 27-room courthouse. There will be 25 completed courtrooms and two shelled courtrooms for future use. Operations at the new courthouse are expected to commence 60 to 90 days after construction is completed.
What will happen to the 11th Street site? Swift said the court has no plans to use the building for any purpose following completion of the new courthouse. If that remains the case, the Judicial Council will explore options to sell the property and Stanislaus County will have the first right of refusal, Corren said.
Parking: There is currently no parking designated for court users at the new site. There will be a small number of spaces on site for staff and a small parking lot a few blocks away for jurors. Swift said, “We recognize parking for court users is an issue with the community. The Court, along with the JCC, is prepared to cooperate with the City of Modesto and community leaders to address the parking issue.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
