Courthouse Begins Construction in Hollister

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Contact: Teresa Ruano, 415-865-7447

April 2, 2012

Hollister Courthouse Begins Construction

HOLLISTER—This week marks the start of construction on the long-awaited new courthouse in downtown Hollister for the Superior Court of San Benito County, the Administrative Office of the Courts announced today.

Work is scheduled to begin on the 3.1-acre site at the intersection of Fourth and Monterey Streets. The completion date for the new courthouse is scheduled for fall 2013.

 “The start of construction is a visual reminder of all of the previous efforts of so many people leading up to the construction of a new courthouse in San Benito County,” said Judge Steven R. Sanders.  “The beginning of the construction phase also serves to maintain our expectations that we may better serve our community in these new facilities.”

In development since 2007, the 41,500-square-foot, two-story courthouse of distinctive steel and glass construction will improve public access, provide greater security, increase efficiency of court operations, and offer significant relief from the court’s current space shortfall. The new Hollister courthouse was ranked in the “Immediate Need” priority group of the statewide trial court capital-outlay plan, making it one of the highest priority courthouse projects of the California judicial branch.

Construction had to wait until the State Treasurer’s Office completed a lease revenue bond sale last fall, with $33.6 million in proceeds allocated to build the new courthouse; the project then had to be rebid because of the delay. The bonds will be repaid from court fees and penalties with no impact on the state’s General Fund.

The courthouse construction project is expected to create approximately 175 to 200 construction jobs over the next two years among the 49 subcontracting firms working with construction manager-at-risk Kitchell Contractors, Inc. In dollar terms, 90 percent of the construction work will go to California firms.

More information about the new Hollister courthouse project is available on the California Courts website.

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