Groundbreaking Ceremony Scheduled Feb. 21 for New Banning Justice Center

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Superior Court of Riverside County courthouse in Banning is scheduled Feb. 21, the Judicial Council of California announced Tuesday.

The event is scheduled 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday Feb. 21, in Banning City Council chambers, 99 E. Ramsey St., and on the northeast corner of East Ramsey and Martin Street.

Free parking is available across the police department in the old San Gorgonio Inn lot, and the public is invited to attend.

The ceremony will be broadcast locally on Time Warner channel 10 and Verizon Fios channel 29 and streamed live from the City of Banning website at http://banning.granicus.com/, a judicial council spokeswoman said.

The ceremony will include remarks by Presiding Judge Sherrill Ellsworth, Assistant Presiding Judge Mark Cope, and Court Executive Officer Sherri R. Carter of the Superior Court of Riverside County, Banning Mayor Don Robinson, Marion Ashley, Riverside County Board of Supervisors, and Ron Overholt, Interim Administrative Director of the Courts.

The total estimated project cost for the six-courtroom, 68,399-square-foot Banning Justice Center is $63.2 million, which includes land acquisition, architectural design, construction, and other costs, Teresa Ruano, of the Judicial Council of California - Administrative Office of the Courts, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Estimated project costs financed by are $54.5 million, Ruano said.

Land acquisition and architectural design costs have already been paid for by the state courts, Ruano said in October.

The new courthouse will replace the current, overcrowded Banning Courthouse, Ruano said. Completion of the poroject is hoped for by Fall 2013.

The new Justice Center is considered a catalyst and complement for other development in downtown Banning, including the planned .

The project is funded by revenues from within the judicial branch, with no impact on the state’s General Fund, according to the Judicial Council, the policy-making body for California courts. Lease payments that repay the bonds will be supported by dedicated court filing fees, surcharges, and criminal penalties.