Three Sites Considered for New Long Beach Courthouse

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Officials are considering three sites for a new Long Beach superior courthouse, which would replace the existing structure that has been plagued by leaky ceilings, broken elevators and poor security, according to reports.

A new facility is expected to cost $342 million and county officials are pushing the governor to include the cost in next year’s budget.

Court officials also recognize that the courthouse sits on a valuable piece of property and the sale of the property could defray the cost of the new courthouse.

The parking lot behind the existing courthouse, the parking structure across the street from the courthouse, and a square block owned by the city’s redevelopment agency near the courthouse are all potential sites for a new facility.

The site with the parking lot behind the current courthouse has the advantage of an underground tunnel linking the courthouse to the jail at police headquarters, according to officials.

County officials say a new facility is needed due to water leaks, asbestos problems, overcrowding and broken elevators and escalators that may have delayed emergency response time last year when a juror suffered a heart attack on the sixth floor of the facility.