New Justice Center Completed in Riverside County
By CN Staff
MENIFEE, Calif.—California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero joined judges and staff from the Superior Court of Riverside County on August 23 to officially commemorate the opening of the new Menifee Justice Center; the venue opened for business July 8, 2024.
The new Menifee Justice Center presents a three-story, nine-courtroom, 85,010-square-foot building and surface parking spaces for the public and jurors in the city of Menifee. The facility replaces existing court operations and five courtrooms in the nonstate-owned Hemet Courthouse and hosts four courtrooms for authorized/funded new judgeships, enhancing court operational efficiency, justice access and public service. It alleviates the current space crunch, bolstered security, and replaced existing deficient court space.
“This has been a highly collaborative effort between the Judicial Council of California, Clark Construction, and the broader project team to deliver a much-needed facility to the local community’s benefit,” said Kwaku Gyabaah, senior vice president at Clark Construction. “It’s great to see the building in use after being delivered on time and budget.”
The project site is about 3.87 acres, and the project utilized the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method. This new courthouse hears civil, family law, and small claims case matters serving residents of the mid-county region of Riverside County.
The project budget was approximately $95 million and the new courthouse will have space for basic services not possible at the previous courthouse due to space restriction. These include jury assembly and deliberation rooms, an adequately sized self-help center and children’s waiting room, and attorney interview/witness waiting rooms.
- Architectural/Engineering Firm: Perkins + Will – Los Angeles
- Construction Management Agency: Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
- Construction Manager at Risk: Clark Construction Group, LLC
- Funding: Senate Bill 1407/General Fund
