GSA celebrates new US Courthouse opening in Los Angeles

October 28, 2016

GSA celebrated the newest addition to the Los Angeles skyline with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles [PDF - 1 MB] on Oct. 13, 2016.

The more than 200 attendees were excited to celebrate two decades worth of dedicated planning, close coordination among the stakeholders and contractors, and construction work at the site on 350 West 1st Street both removing the old state building and constructing the new sustainable, secure, and cost effective facility.

“Every aspect of the new courthouse has been carefully thought out, in order to maximize benefit to the people of Los Angeles and the American taxpayer,” said Norman Dong, GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner.

The audience was comprised of civic leaders, members of the courts, contractors and GSA personnel whose involvement with the project stemmed from its earliest conception to its completion. Speakers highlighted the efforts of several key audience members who championed this project including United States District Judges Margaret M. Morrow (ret.) and Duane Allen, GSA Project Manager.

“It took a village to build our new federal courthouse,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. “Today, we celebrate the united, steadfast commitment and determination of our “village” of courthouse advocates who made this great day a reality.”
Many guests remembered the site as an out-of-use California state building which was demolished to make room for the new courthouse.

“This new courthouse is not only a beautiful gleaming addition to the Los Angeles skyline, but its design also seamlessly integrates components of energy efficiency, outstanding court and jury facilities and engaging public spaces,” said Dan Brown, GSA Regional Commissioner for Public Buildings Service.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to take a tour of the facility to get a first-hand view of several of its key features including the 10 story light court, special proceedings courtroom, and main lobby. The courthouse also contains artwork from local Los Angeles Artist Catherine Opie, Mary Corse, and contemporary mixed media artist Gary Simmons.

The ribbon cutting is a major milestone for both GSA and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, which have worked to create a viable redevelopment plan to address the court’s long-term security and functional needs. This is the first major step in GSA’s three-pronged approach to achieving an enhanced and efficient footprint for the U.S. District Courts in Los Angeles by consolidating many of the functions that were previously divided across multiple buildings.

Speakers at the celebration included Rep. Xavier Becerra; Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard; Chief Judge Virginia Phillips, U.S. District Court, Central District of California; Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar; Norman Dong, GSA PBS Commissioner; Nicolas Rodriquez, Field Director for Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, Office of Senator Barbara Boxer; Craig Hartman, Senior Consulting Design Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP; and Marc Kersey, Senior Vice President, Clark Construction Group-California LP.