Building Up Momentum

Congressional budget cutters took their axes to it. The vice president temporarily halted its construction. Even a harsh Italian winter marred the building process.

Nearly a decade after it was planned, the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Santa Ana is set to open next month--a year behind schedule but on budget.

It is a spacious 10-story building draped in glass and marble that houses state-of-the art courtrooms and airy public galleries with sweeping views of the county.

Officials say it will go a long way toward meeting the needs of federal agencies operating in Orange County, most of which are housed in offices scattered among several buildings in downtown Santa Ana.

The number of district courtrooms will double--from three to six--easing the backlog of cases that results in many being assigned to the federal court in Los Angeles. The number of bankruptcy courts will also increase, from four to six.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Gary L. Taylor beamed proudly while giving a tour of the $123-million complex. He said everyone who has seen the imposing structure is similarly impressed with its design.

It was built with an “eye toward the future,” Taylor said, and takes advantages of existing technology, while allowing for anticipated advances. The floors, for example, are honeycombed with ducts that can handle computer wires as well as audio and visual cables.

In a building full of impressive touches, perhaps the most talked-about are its courtrooms. Each is adorned with cherrywood paneling and a soaring, domed ceiling from which hangs four chandeliers.

“This building cost less than two [Anaheim] Angels players,” he said. “It’s a very, very good investment the Congress made.”

The building will centralize federal operations in Orange County, housing courtrooms for district judges, federal magistrates and bankruptcy judges. Several agencies, including the U.S. attorney’s office, the federal public defender’s branch and U.S. Marshal’s Service, will also have new offices in the building.

The U.S. Congress, which originally budgeted more than $160 million for the building, scaled back the project by $40 million in the mid-1990s. The project suffered numerous delays, the longest of which was a two-year setback when a federal task force headed by Vice President Al Gore called for a moratorium on construction of new office buildings.

Construction began in June 1995 and was scheduled for completion in December 1997. But problems developed when workers were about to install the honey-colored travertine marble. Officials said unusual winter storms in Italy halted quarrying work and slowed the importation of marble.

Another setback: The original contractor hired to do the work was later deemed unqualified.

Despite the delays, officials termed the building a great success that will help to revitalize downtown Santa Ana. The building is located at the western edge of Santa Ana’s historic Fourth Street shopping district, and city officials hope the courthouse will increase foot traffic and sales during weekdays.

Abdee Gharavi, a director for the U.S. General Services Administration, said it is an aesthetically pleasing building that breaks with the drab, box-like designs that are so common to federal facilities.

One thing that appears to be missing in the building is a representation of the person for whom it was named. But if one looks closely at the giant mural in the entryway, there, almost lost among the swirl of faces, under a yellow balloon, is the smiling image of Ronald Reagan.

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Beautifying the ‘Bureaucratic Box’

After nearly a decade of dreaming, the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is finally a reality. Judges and their staffs began moving in Wednesday. A public dedication is scheduled for Jan. 7. The $123-million building is designed to house the growth of the U.S. District, Bankruptcy and Magistrate courts through 2021.

Height: 190 feet

10th Floor

District Courts (3)

Conference room

Gallery

Judges’ chambers

9th Floor

District Courts (3)

U.S. trustees office

8th Floor

U.S. attorney’s office

Grand Jury suite

7th Floor

Federal public defender’s office

Bankruptcy Court clerk’s office

6th Floor

Magistrate Courts (2)

Bankruptcy Courts (2)

5th Floor

Bankruptcy Courts (4)

4th Floor

Probation offices

Pretrial services

3th Floor

Law library

Cafeteria

2nd Floor

Bankruptcy Court clerk

U.S. marshals services

1st Floor

District Court clerk

Jury assembly room

U.S. trustees office

Federal protection services

Press

Staff offices

Security

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By the Numbers

Cost: $123 million

Site: 3.9 acres

Space: 603,750 square feet

Parking: 200 spaces

Employees: 400

Sources: Mary Filippini, U.S. General Services Administration; Santa Ana Downtown Development Division

Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD / Los Angeles Times