Council approves five-year courthouse construction plan after additional state funding boosts projects

The Judicial Council approved a Court Facilities Advisory Committee recommendation to adopt a five-year courthouse construction plan and a capital outlay budget change proposal for FY 2027–28. Administrative Presiding Justice Brad Hill and Judge Eric Wersching presented the plan, noting the final state budget added substantial funding that changed the plan's composition: $188 million was appropriated to start and complete work on four projects (Clear Lake, Tracy, Kern, Tahoe) and $1.63 billion to finish remaining phases on five others (Solano, Nevada City, Plumas, Santa Clarita, San Luis Obispo).

Presenters emphasized prioritization criteria including seismic safety, facility condition index, ADA compliance and court-user access. CFAC also noted roughly $5.37 billion in estimated deferred maintenance (branch share ~$3.96 billion) and described cost-reduction measures such as standardized templates to reduce per-project architectural costs. The council voted to approve the plan and directed staff to submit the capital outlay proposal to the Department of Finance.