With golden shovels in hand, the Lionakis design team including Nicholas Docous, Brandon Rachac and Jake Elliot, along with State, local officials and community leaders recently celebrated the official groundbreaking of the highly anticipated new Courthouse for the Superior Court of California in Tuolumne County. Construction began earlier this year, but the official groundbreaking was postponed due to inclement weather. Presiding Judge Donald Segerstrom, the event’s keynote speaker, spoke about the Court’s long pressing need for a new facility, because the current Courthouse was built in 1898:
“We’ve had to make do with an old and physically deficient facility for so many years now. A new courthouse will allow us to provide access to justice services in a safe and secure manner.”
- Judge Donald Segerstrom, Tuolumne County Superior Court
The approximately 61,000 square foot building is being built on a 4.3-acre parcel at the County’s Law and Justice Campus and will consolidate operations from two existing courthouses. The facility will include five courtrooms, administration space, family court services, and in-custody facilities. Slated for completion in March 2021, the new courthouse was designed to meet LEED Silver Certification requirements.
"The Tuolumne County Court and the Judicial Council of California have shown a tremendous amount of patience throughout this project. Once complete, this project will have been ongoing for over ten years. Having witnessed many of the shortcomings of the existing historic courthouse, it always amazes me how patient the team has been while waiting for their new home. It’s not every day you find a team willing to stay the course and maintain a consistent design intent for over decade. This will be a project to remember for me and my team at Lionakis, for working on this unique building, but mostly for working with such a collaborative and dedicated team."
- Jake Elliot, Project Architect, Lionakis
