ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Green Light for Courthouse

The Clinton Administration’s go-ahead for the planned federal courthouse in Santa Ana is good news for all of Orange County.

The county’s population has increased greatly in recent years and now stands at 2.5 million. That has meant more criminal and civil lawsuits, and more clamor from lawyers and their clients for a local court to spare them the commute to Los Angeles.

More than $6 million has already been spent to design the building, but when Vice President Al Gore put forth his plan in September to “reinvent government” the threat arose that the facility might never be built. Gore’s program included a call for review of all proposed courthouses in the nation on grounds of necessity and cost.

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), a staunch backer of the project, kept the pressure on; he had a good case, since it was clear the building is needed. Last week the General Services Administration correctly agreed and gave the green light. The GSA did trim the cost by 25%, from $160 million to $120 million.

Cox said the building will have the same number of courtrooms as originally planned, which is good. But it will be one floor shorter, the underground parking area will be cut by half and less expensive building materials will be used in some cases. Given the federal budget problems, there’s no quarrel with cutting costs so long as it does not reduce efficiency.

Santa Ana, too, will benefit from the building, to be named for former President Ronald Reagan. The courthouse should fit well in an area that has undergone a gradual renewal and is now dotted with city, county and state buildings, shops and restaurants along Fourth Street and apartments and condominiums.

Cox graciously gave deserved thanks to GSA head Roger Johnson for his help. Johnson, of Orange County, is the highest-ranking Republican in the Clinton Administration. Although his support for President Clinton in the campaign drew the wrath of many county Republicans, his knowledge of Orange County was a definite boost for the courthouse.