Sacramento Business Journal: New Courthouse Announcement Soon

News on courthouse expected soon

Sacramento Business Journal - by Michael Shaw

Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 2:00pm PDT -

• Michael Shaw
• Staff Writer
• Email: mshaw@bizjournals.com

An announcement is expected any day on the location of Sacramento’s new $439 million courthouse — and we hear the Administrative Office of the Courts has heeded calls to put the project in the Railyards. The other possible location is an empty lot at 301 Capitol Mall.

Of course, there’s nothing definitive from any of the parties involved.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership has been vocal in support of putting the building in The Railyards, saying the placement of a criminal courthouse in the middle of Sacramento’s premier business address would be short-sighted.

But the Railyards site, across the street from the Federal Courthouse, may be complicated because it’s now owned by Inland American Real Estate Trust following the company’s foreclosure on the land last year.

Putting a courthouse in will require additional infrastructure and Inland is an investment company, not a development firm accustomed to building things.

The new courthouse will provide 44 courtrooms. Construction is funded through fees, penalties, and assessments. The project is expected to be completed in early 2015.