SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County is preparing to open a new superior courthouse facility that will replace the aging Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse, marking a $514 million investment aimed at expanding capacity, improving safety and modernizing court operations.
A new courthouse located at 500 G St. will replace the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse at 720 Ninth St. The new location is named the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento Superior Courthouse, according to a recent press release by the Sacramento Superior Court.
The project, which is currently being overseen by the Judicial Council of California (JCC), has invested $514 million into the development. The new facility will house larger, more technologically equipped courtrooms, as well as a single public entrance with four security screening stations and eight public elevators “to enhance safety and efficiency,” according to the Sacramento Superior Court.
Additionally, public amenities will include civil help services; a jury assembly room accommodating up to 500 prospective jurors; food services and a children’s waiting room on the first floor; a dedicated Civil Settlement Conference Center; and centralized criminal and civil public counters.
Built in 1965, the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse contains only 22 courtrooms, resulting in safety concerns such as overcrowding and limited space for proceedings to take place efficiently. The new facility will replace the old one with 53 courtrooms, 18 floors and a total of 538,000 square feet.
The building will ultimately address space limitations and improve efficiency by expanding videoconferencing capabilities, supporting large media files and surveillance footage, and installing cameras that protect the privacy of jurors.
According to the Judicial Branch of California, in 2013 the JCC delayed the project due to a fiscal crisis and continued cuts in court construction funding.
Later, in 2014, the Legislature allocated $40 million for court construction projects.
The JCC supported legislation to dedicate an estimated $27 million toward developing the courthouse’s initial design plans.
The project was approved in September 2014, and the Legislature also provided funding for the working drawings phase, which involved producing comprehensive construction documents and specifications.
After filing a Notice of Determination for the new courthouse in 2011, the state purchased a 4-acre lot in the Sacramento Railyards, located at the northwest corner of the intersection of H Street and Sixth Street.
The court will go through multiple relocation phases to “minimize disruption” over a span of five weeks. The following dates were provided by the County of Sacramento.
March 28–30 – Initial relocation of select administrative offices and court functions.
April 4–6 – Continued transfer of courtrooms and support staff.
April 11–13 – Completion of civil operations move.
April 18–20 and April 25–27 – Final transition of remaining criminal operations.
Beginning April 13, civil services are expected to open to the public in the new facility.
Furthermore, the new courthouse will be fully operational, including criminal services, by April 27.
“This new facility not only enhances the court’s ability to serve the public more efficiently, but also strengthens meaningful access to justice,” said Presiding Judge Lawrence G. Brown.
“By bringing services together in a modern, accessible and secure environment, we are better positioned to meet the needs of all who rely on our justice system,” the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, stated.
The courthouse, which was developed by the JCC, designed by NBBJ and constructed by Clark Construction Group, is a long-term investment in Sacramento’s judicial infrastructure.
As operations begin in April, the new courthouse stands as a long-term investment in the community, designed to better support residents, legal professionals and court staff for years to come.
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Categories: Breaking News Court Watch Sacramento Region Tags: California judiciary court infrastructure Judicial Council of California Sacramento courts Sacramento Superior Court Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Courthouse