Long Beach Courthouse: A Turnkey-Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain Project

Major Project Benefits

Experience has taught us that no two organizations are identical and neither are any two infrastructure or real estate projects. What may be an attractive transaction structure for one organization might be too big of a leap for another. The flexibility of the turnkey delivery approach, with regards to the bundling of services and transference of risks, allows for tailored solutions that can meet the needs of any organization and any project, no matter the size or the complexity.

The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse (aka, the Long Beach Court Building) is a unique project because it represents one transaction in which the private sector tackles all four primary risks associated with facility delivery and long term operations, including: (1) development, (2) design & construction (schedule and cost), (3) financing, and (4) operations & maintenance/lifecycle costs (replacements).

“Having the firm responsible for the long-term operation of the building...at the table [during design & construction] is a quality control mechanism of sorts that helps ensure that the product being built using fast track construction will be an enduring asset.”— Clifford Ham Principal Architect at the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) of California

Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate is part of the Long Beach Judicial Partners LLC, (LBJP) team that contracted to turnkey develop, design, construct, finance, operate, and maintain (DBFOM) the new 545,000 square foot Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach, California. The project was delivered under a unique public-private partnership agreement, which has a total development cost of approximately $490 million and a design-build cost of $343 million.

This court building is the first social infrastructure project in the United States procured under the principles of Performance Based Infrastructure (PBI) contracting. Under the PBI agreement, the California Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) will own the building and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will occupy the space. The AOC will pay the development consortium an annual, performance based service fee, or Availability Payment, for 35 years. The PBI delivery method leveraged the private sector’s access to financing, technological expertise, and management efficiency to quickly provide a high-quality facility that serves the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.

Edgemoor provided real estate development services for the project. The scope of work included significant utility relocations, permitting, and implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA requirements include preservation of historical artifacts, hiring of an independent building expert with the state building permit authority, and inter­facing with local city government for work outside the property line. The Edgemoor team assisted the consortium with establishing commercial leases with Los Angeles County and retail tenants. Clark Construction led the design and construction of the new courthouse, including the tenant work.

The five-story building houses 31 courtrooms, court administration offices, Los Angeles County lease space, and commercial and retail leasable space. The building includes below-grade secure inmate transfer facilities, detention facilities, and separate secure parking areas for judicial staff. A five-level great room atrium enclosed on two ends by a cable supported glass wall system serves as the single entry point for the public and provides access to a secured central courtyard. Clad in deeply articulated curtain wall and elements of stone, the project spans two city blocks in downtown Long Beach and replaces the functionally obsolete courthouse building one block away. In addition to the new building, the project team renovated and seismically enhanced an existing 399,000 square foot parking structure.