Morgan Hill
– Bids are in for the new Santa Clara County Courthouse and they
are higher than expected but, if all goes well, the doors should
open in July 2006.
Morgan Hill – Bids are in for the new Santa Clara County Courthouse and they are higher than expected but, if all goes well, the doors should open in July 2006.
West Bay Builders was the low bidder at $30,355,000; S.J. Amoroso the second lowest at $30,497,000 and Thompson Pacific, the highest at $31,390,000. The figures are for construction costs only, said Alicia Flynn, the county’s project manager for the courthouse.
“The engineering/architect’s estimates were $24.1 million for construction costs and obviously the bids came in higher,” Flynn said.
Their overall estimate was just shy of $40 million, leaving almost $16 million for soft costs – furniture and equipment – plus 5 to 10 percent contingency. With construction bids hovering around $32 million, soft costs of $16 million would boost the overall cost to the county to $48 million.
Neither figure includes the $7 million the City of Morgan Hill spent buying property at Butterfield Boulevard and Diana Avenue, a tradeoff agreement that allowed the city to continue its Redevelopment Agency without costly county objection.
The city uses RDA funds to build facilities – community and aquatics centers, indoor and outdoor sports centers and, they hope, a new library, plus economic development – bringing new business to town – and some infrastructure support. The RDA keeps some tax revenue normally sent to the county for such purposes.
The 80,000 square-foot courthouse will be on a site next to the railroad tracks and south of the Caltrain park-and-ride lot. Six courtrooms, a holding facility for prisoners, jury rooms and related offices will occupy a 35-foot high building. A smaller one-story building on the north would house district attorney, probation and public defender offices.
Neighbors across Butterfield Boulevard were initially worried that prisoners would escape on their way to court and disappear into the neighborhood. Flynn and the building’s architects, Ross, Drulis, Cusenbery, assured residents that all prisoners would be transferred from buses in a locked underground space, reducing the possibility of escape to near zero.
Sheriff’s deputies, who are responsible for the prisoners, told residents that people appearing at court tend to be on their very best behavior.
While City Council members originally objected to the huge, white buildings that seemed to have no connection to Morgan Hill’s past or architecture, they and the Chamber of Commerce are now looking forward to having many dozens of county workers make the short walk across the at-grade railroad crossing, up Third Street to downtown restaurants and businesses.
The county has abandoned the San Martin courthouse complex at Monterey Road and Highland Avenue because it has outgrown the site and the existing building is so riddled with mold inside and out that it had to be closed. Court is currently held in trailers on the site.
Flynn, said she was analyzing three bids and is hoping to take them to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 19.
“If the board approves the low bid we could break ground in late December, early January and be finished by spring 2006,” Flynn said. “I’m hoping for a nice, dry winter.”
Courthouse
• 2 buildings: 80,000 square-feet
• Budget: $40 million
• Construction bids: West Bay Builders ($30,355,000); S.J. Amoroso ($30,497,000); Thompson Pacific ($31,390,000).
• Furniture, details and equipment: $16 million
• Land costs: $7 million paid by City of Morgan Hill
• Site: Butterfield Boulevard and West Diana Avenue, just east of the railroad tracks
• Groundbreaking: Dec/Jan 2004/05
• Construction complete: Spring 2006
• Occupancy: July 2006
