Where I Stand: The new courthouse project is back on schedule
By Doug Prouty
Superior Court Presiding Judge
We are excited to announce our new courthouse project, funded by judicial branch revenues, is back on schedule. The current four-story courthouse, originally built in 1921 is County owned and will not be torn down. Based on current court facility standards, the current courthouse has significant functional, safety, seismic and technology deficiencies that have hampered the Court’s ability to administer court operations using modern technology.
About ten years ago, our first courthouse project was ranked as an “immediate need” by the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan. However, the State’s Budget Act of 2011-2012 contained unprecedented cuts to the judicial branch budget in general and to courthouse projects in particular, and the Plumas project was indefinitely delayed. When the project was delayed, the Court and the County of Plumas were in initial negotiations for the sale of the Dame Shirley Plaza Parcel.
The new two-story courthouse, slated to be completed in 2029, will increase the Court’s ability to provide quality services and access to justice for the community. It will include three courtrooms, public waiting areas, space for jurors to assemble, attorney-client interview rooms, self-help offices and separate corridors and holding areas for in-custody defendants. And, if built in close proximity to the present courthouse, it can be expected to add to the revitalization of downtown Quincy. All of the space currently occupied by the Court in the historic courthouse will revert to Plumas County for their continued occupancy and use.
The construction process is currently in the site selection phase. The new courthouse requires a site of almost 2 acres and is to be located in Quincy as the County seat. The project will then proceed with site acquisition, design and build phases. The Court will provide further updates as the project proceeds.
