Earthquake Repairs Begin on Courthouse

Construction to repair the county courthouse in San Fernando began Monday--nearly three years after the Northridge earthquake and four months after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors settled a bitter lawsuit with insurers who claimed that damage estimates were too high.

“Obviously, we’re very gratified and pleased that this is underway,” said Joel Bellman, a spokesman for Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. “It’s long overdue.” The project is expected to be completed in May.

In February, Yaroslavsky filed a lawsuit on behalf of the county against a group of about 25 insurance companies that claimed that repair estimates exceeded the damage caused by the January 1994 earthquake.

The major insurance companies settled with the county in July, and in September, FTR International Inc., signed a contract to repair the courthouse for $5.84 million.

“For [the courthouse] to be just sitting there damaged and vacant for more than two years was unacceptable,” said Bellman. “It took too long, and we are looking forward to getting this done as quickly as possible.”

The long delay in repairing the 187,000-square-foot, mission-style courthouse strained resources at other county facilities, such as the Van Nuys Courthouse, which were required to take up the slack.

It also proved costly for merchants in downtown San Fernando, where business has been sharply down since the earthquake, said San Fernando Mayor Rosa Chacon.

“It’s not a day too soon,” said Chacon. “Businesses in this area have suffered and reopening the courthouse will help them.”

Tom Tindall, a project manager for the Department of Public Works, said workers will repair cracks and reinforce concrete columns and support walls that were damaged in the temblor. Upgrades will also be made to meet standards set by the Americans With Disabilities Act.

“It’s almost all interior work. It won’t change the appearance of the building at all,” said Tindall.