MERIDIAM led the consortium named as the preferred proposer for the Long Beach Court Building project.

The Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) of the Judicial Council of California announced Monday 28th June 2010 having named the Long Beach Judicial Partners (LBJP) consortium to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the new court building which replaces the current Long Beach courthouse competed in 1959.

The Long Beach project is the first for which the AOC is using an innovative delivery arrangement called performance-based infrastructure (PBI), which leverages the private sector’s access to financing, technological expertise, management efficiency, and entrepreneurial spirit to quickly provide a high-quality facility that will serve the Superior Court of Los Angeles County’s needs and enhance the public’s access to justice.

Meridiam Infrastructure, led development of the LBJP’s proposal. LBJP will raise 100 percent of the financing required to complete the project. Other members of the consortium include:
• AECOM: Architect/Engineer
• Clark Construction Group, LLC: Construction management
• Edgemoor Real Estate Services: Commercial real estate services
• Johnson Controls Inc: Facilities management, operation, and maintenance.

Over the next several weeks, the AOC and LBJP will work together to complete the project agreement in order to secure final approval from the state Department of Finance. After that, the parties expect to sign the project agreement, enabling the consortium to proceed to financial close. Groundbreaking is expected later this year, and the new building is scheduled to be completed and ready for occupancy by summer 2013. After the court takes occupancy, LBJP will operate and maintain the building for about 32 years under a services agreement under which the state will pay an annual fee.

The building will house 31 courtrooms, with the court occupying roughly three-fourths of the overall space. The additional space will be used for offices of county justice agencies and for commercial office and retail space compatible with court uses. The project also includes renovation of the nearby existing parking structure, expanding its capacity to more than 900 spaces.

More information about the project: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/occm/projects_lalongbeach.htm