NEW COURTHOUSE on proposed state budget A Writer
fter a few years of uncertainty behind a project to build a new $47.5 million courthouse in El Centro, Gov. Jerry Brown has included funding in his proposed budget to complete 10 different courthouses in the state, including the Imperial County facility.
Although the project is listed, the funding will not be finalized until June when the 2018-19 state budget gets approved by the legislature.
“If and when the construction funding is in the approved fiscal year 2018-19 state budget, the project will be restarted,” said Blaine Corren, a spokesman for the Judicial Council of California. “The design plans are complete and approved by the regulatory authorities and the site is ready for development.”
He said if the courthouse is included in the final budget, the state could break ground in late fall.
The project in Imperial County is one of 17 previously stalled projects that could now move forward. Initially, the funding for the construction of the new facilities was expected from Senate Bill 1732 and SB 1407; however, the anticipated funding from those bills didn’t come as expected.
As a result, the Gov. Brown administration decided to backfill the Trial Court Trust Fund with more than $60 million over the next two years, in addition to using lease revenue bonds from the same time frame in order to complete the construction of 10 of the 17 stalled projects.
County Supervisor for District 3 Michael Kelley said he had yet to receive any official word on the matter and didn’t want to comment further until then.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Kelley said.
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Ray Castillo said he’s hopeful the project will receive the necessary funding since the current courthouse has aged and no longer has the adequate capacity.
The 47,000 square foot courthouse is expected to be built on a 3.6-acre site located on Wake Avenue, between Merrill Center Drive and Thomas Drive, midway between the historic courthouse and juvenile hall.
According to the California Judicial Branch website, the new courthouse will provide a new four-courtroom facility that will help increase efficiency by consolidating all criminal court operations under one roof in a more modern, secure building.
According to information posted on the website, the historic courthouse built in 1923 will continue to hear civil, family, small claims and traffic cases. It also states the Brawley Courthouse is expected to be closed.
Castillo said the court, in recent years, has begun to try to consolidate its offices to offer its diverse services in one central location.
Kelley said the final word of what will happen to the Brawley Courthouse rests solely in the hands of the Judicial Branch but hopes it remains open even after the new courthouse is completed.
“(Closing the Brawley Courthouse) would be a burden for the residents of the outlying areas of the county who need to pay fines and other services. As a county representative, I’d hope they would remain open and continue to accommodate them,” Kelley said.
The historic courthouse is the main courthouse and handles the majority of criminal cases, along with civil, small claims,