Judge Robin Appel, who sits on the court facilities committee, said during a telephone interview on Tuesday, Feb. 5, that phase one of the renovations to the Manteca courthouse, 315 Center St., are complete, and that plans to renovate Tracy’s courthouse, 475 E. 10th St., are in the works.
“The ultimate goal is to reopen Tracy,” Appel said. “As soon as we can afford it we will do it. We need that courthouse and we’ll be ready.”
Appel said officials will be working on the Tracy court renovation plans over the next few months, but no date has been set as to when renovations would begin.
She said it will be years before Tracy can reopen, but that officials want to have the site ready for when such a move is possible.
The Tracy courthouse was closed on Sept. 30, 2011 due to budget cutbacks when the county judicial system faced $2.1 million in reductions. Also closed that day, was one of two Lodi courts. Pink slips were issued to 46 San Joaquin County court employees.
The combined cost of the renovations in Manteca and Tracy is $4.8 million, and Appel said the money was acquired by the county board of supervisors in 2008 from a special fund for court construction.
When renovations do begin in Tracy, the project will include the razing of the modular court in the parking lot, and the former San Joaquin County Department of Agriculture building next door, as well as renovations to portions of the main courthouse interior.
In Manteca, phase one renovations were completed on Jan. 22 and the doors to a new courtroom were opened for business on the western side of the building. The first phase consisted of the construction of additional inmate holding cells, a new clerk’s office and the second courtroom.
Phase two, now ongoing, consists of improvements to the lobby and making the front entrance on the southern side American Disability Act Compliant, Appel said. All of the work is expected to be completed in April.
• Contact Denise Ellen Rizzo at 830-4225 or drizzo@tracypress.com.
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