New Chico Courthouse Information Meeting

Contact: Teresa Ruano, 415-865-7447

Oct 14, 2011

Public Information Meeting on New Chico Courthouse

What: A public meeting will provide information about the current status of the new Chico courthouse in Butte County, currently in architectural design. At the meeting, the public and other interested parties will hear about the project’s design and current status.

Who: The Administrative Office of the Courts, Office of Court Construction and Management, in partnership with the Superior Court of Butte County, will present project information.

When: Monday, October 24, 2011, 6:00–7:30 p.m.

Where: City Council Chambers, 421 Main Street, Chico (map)

Why: The new Butte County courthouse will be a two-story building housing five courtrooms in approximately 67,400 square feet. It will be located in the new Meriam Park Development, at the corner of East 20th Street and Bruce Road. The new building will improve access to justice for court users as the North County Justice Center for the Superior Court of Butte County, with improved security, adequate space, and expanded services.

The project is funded by Senate Bill 1407, which finances critically needed courthouse construction, renovation, and repair through a portion of judicial branch fees, fines, and penalties, with no impact on the state’s General Fund. The new courthouse project was ranked as an “immediate need” in the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan and is among the branch’s highest-priority infrastructure projects. However, the state Budget Act for fiscal year 2011–2012 contained unprecedented cuts to the judicial branch budget in general and to the account that funds SB 1407 projects in particular. These cuts are expected to cause delays in certain projects. The specific impact on this project, if any, won’t be known for several months. In the meantime, architectural design for the project is proceeding. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in late 2012 and be completed in mid-2014.

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