The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse is the first civic building in the United States delivered through an availability-payment-based public private partnership (P3). Under this agreement, Long Beach Judicial Partners (a project company of Meridiam Infrastructure), financed, designed, and built the project, and will operate and maintain it as part of a private consortium for a period of 35 years.

Although the California Judicial Council’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) technically owned the future building as soon as the land was acquired, they paid nothing until occupying the operational building in September 2013; currently they will continue to pay the project’s capital and operations and maintenance costs over the contract period of 35 years. Availability payments mean that if any part of the facility is inoperable for more than two consecutive hours during the normal business day, deductions are made from these payments. The AOC has thus termed the arrangement “performance-based infrastructure (PBI).”

The new 531,000-square-foot courthouse replaces an outdated facility that suffered from overcrowding and required safety and security updates. The project occupies six acres in the city’s redevelopment area, bounded by West Broadway, Maine Avenue, West Third Street, and Magnolia Avenue. The facility houses 31 courtrooms—with expansion space for six more—offices for county justice agencies, retail space compatible with court uses, and an interior courtyard. The scope of work also includes the renovation of the nearby existing parking structure, and the enhancement of surrounding streetscapes.

AECOM, the design leader, factored in durability, resilience and access to the justice system into the building’s design, which responds to varying adjacent building heights, expresses the civic purpose of the court, and creates a less stressful experience for those within the building. The project was completed in August 2013, under budget and 11 days ahead of schedule.

Awards

  • Excellence in Design, Design-Build Institute of America
  • Civic Buildings, National Award of Merit, Design-Build Institute of America
  • Best Project, Government/Public Buildings, ENR California, 2014
  • PPP deal of the year in North America, Project Finance Magazine
  • Merit award, AIA Justice Facilities Review
  • 2012 Highly commended, best accommodation project, PPP Bulletin partnerships awards
  • 2011 Deal of the year awards, nontraditional financing, Bond Buyer Magazine
  • Commercial Real Estate Award, 2014 Best Public Project, Los Angeles Business Journal.

Partners

  • Edgemoor Development
  • Clark Construction Group (Design-Builder and General Contractor)
  • TMAD Taylor & Gaines
  • Johnson Controls (Specialty Consultant)
  • Meridiam Infrastructure