TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution expressing the City’s support of the development of a new County Courthouse in downtown Long Beach. (District 2)
DISCUSSION
In February 2005, the County of Los Angeles released a South District, Long Beach Courthouse-Building Deficiencies and Public Impact Report (Report) (Attachment A). The Report summarized the inadequacies of the existing County Courthouse, which includes seismic deficiencies, inoperable custody elevators, inadequate custody lockup area, defective public elevators and escalators, and an inadequate number of courtrooms and space for support functions.
This building is among the most outdated and undersized of courthouses in the State and will remain incapable of meeting the region's demand for current and near-term need for court services. The Long Beach Courthouse's existing court space provides limited court services as a result of it constrained size. Consequently, the court has had to utilize a modular building to hold its traffic court. The poor condition of the facilities, the significant lack of security and overcrowded conditions, and the public's hindered access to court services are among the many reasons a new courthouse is needed.
As a result of the glaring need for a new courthouse and to highlight the desire to retain the courthouse in Downtown Long Beach, the City Council authorized a joint Courthouse Site Feasibility Study (Study) with the County of Los Angeles (County) in September 2005. The purpose of the Study was to evaluate identified sites and establish an optimal location for a new criminal/civil County courthouse in the downtown area. The project considered the replacement of the existing decaying courthouse. The Study identified three potential sites and evaluated the condition of each site as well as design criteria for a new courthouse. The Study was distributed to City Council in September 2006. Attached is the executive summary of the Study (Attachment B).
In late-Augu...
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