Glenn County, Willows Courthouse Renovation/Expansion

Glenn County, Willows Courthouse Renovation/Expansion

The scope of this project was the renovation and expansion of the existing, 15,798-square-foot, one courtroom, state-owned Historic Courthouse that was constructed in 1894 in the city of Willows. In keeping with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, the project addressed all deficiencies by renovating the Historic Courthouse into a modern, secure building as well as provided a 26,069-square-foot addition to the building for two additional courtrooms and other essential court spaces. It has enhanced the superior court’s ability to serve the public by providing the opportunity to centralize court services through the consolidation of court operations preexisting in the Historic Courthouse with those in the Orland Branch Courthouse and leased Self-Help Center facility. The project utilized the Construction Manager at Risk delivery method. The renovated and expanded Historic Courthouse hears all case types and provides a full range of court service to all residents of Glenn County.

Completion Date: 9/29/23
Occupancy Date: 9/29/23
Gross Square Footage: 41,867
Total Courtrooms: 3
Current Authorized Project Budget: $62,768,000
Architectural/Engineering Firm: Page & Turnbull
Construction Management Agency: Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
Construction Manager at Risk: Arntz Builders
Fund: Senate Bill 1407/General Fund

Prior to completion of this capital project, the Superior Court of Glenn County operated from three facilities in two cities—the state-owned Historic Courthouse and leased Self-Help Center facility in the city of Willows and the county-owned Orland Branch Courthouse in the city of Orland. The project has improved security and functionality and increased operational efficiency as well as enhanced the court’s ability to serve the public by consolidating court operations and services from the three facilities into the renovated and expanded Historic Courthouse in downtown Willows.

In 1894, the county built the two-story, 15,798-square-foot, one-courtroom Historic Courthouse. The rear of the building was added onto in the 1940s in the form of three single-story structures. In 2011, the state took title to the property and has since been the building’s owner. In 2012, the state acquired additional land to the rear of the building for purposes of constructing the addition to the building as part of this project. As this project was planned and constructed consistent with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, those single-story additions constructed in the 1940s were demolished, and the building was returned to its original form prior to expansion on state-owned property. The building also underwent seismic strengthening and upgrades to its systems, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.

The Historic Courthouse now houses the main entrance and lobby, security screening, self-help center, mediation and settlement spaces, court administration, and one courtroom, and its two-story, 26,069-square-foot addition (to the rear of the building) houses the Clerk's Office, court operations, sheriff space and holding facilities for in-custody defendants, and two courtrooms. As required by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards, the new two-story addition was designed to be compatible with the historic building’s massing, size, scale, and architectural features but differentiated from it to preserve its character.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Compliance

The Judicial Council complied with CEQA by filing a categorical exemption for this project on December 1, 2010.