New Stanislaus courthouse opening delayed again as costs continue to rise
Stanislaus County’s new courthouse now is expected to open sometime this winter, marking another significant delay for a project that has been in the works for more than a decade and has grown increasingly expensive.
Construction of the seven-story courthouse in downtown Modesto is now expected to be completed in the fall, with court operations beginning a few months later, according to the Judicial Council of California.
The latest timeline pushes the courthouse’s opening roughly two years beyond the original expectation that construction would wrap up in late 2024 and the building would open shortly afterward. It also comes after the Judicial Council last year projected construction would finish in June 2025.
The delays have driven costs higher. Judicial Council spokesperson Blaine Corren told The Bee that the project’s cost has increased beyond the $351.9 million estimate reported last year, but officials are still evaluating the final amount.
“The final project cost is still being evaluated,” Corren said. “Construction delays have resulted in additional costs, but we do not yet have a final figure.”
The courthouse, under construction between Ninth and 10th streets, will consolidate court operations that are now spread among Modesto, Ceres and Turlock.
When plans were first authorized in 2010, the project carried an estimated cost of $278.2 million. By the time construction began in December 2021, inflation, rising construction costs and design changes had increased the budget. In September, the Judicial Council estimated the project cost at $351.9 million.
The courthouse project has faced years of setbacks
Although a new Stanislaus County facility was identified as one of California’s highest-priority courthouse projects in 2010, funding shortages during and after the Great Recession repeatedly delayed construction. State officials eventually shifted how courthouse projects are financed, allowing the Modesto project to move forward after lawmakers approved funding in 2018.
Ground finally was broken in December 2021 on the roughly 309,000-square-foot courthouse.
Once complete, the building will house 27 courtrooms and consolidate several satellite court operations. The facility will replace the aging Stanislaus County Courthouse on 11th Street, which was completed in 1960.
The Judicial Council previously has said it is seeking legislative approval to dispose of the existing courthouse property once operations move into the new building. Officials have emphasized they have no plans to demolish the current courthouse, though its long-term future has not been determined.
The courthouse is being built by McCarthy Building Companies and was designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.
