Battle Over Courthouse Is Now in Session

This isn’t the first time they’ve fought over a courthouse.

In the early 1990s, Santa Ana and Irvine contended for the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse. Santa Ana ended up with the $80-million building.

A similar contest is playing out again, as the state decides where to construct a 4th District Court of Appeal building. The court currently operates out of rented offices in downtown Santa Ana.

One offer comes from Santa Ana, which wants the state to build the $17-million facility in its Civic Center, which already accommodates the Orange County Superior Court, state and federal government offices and an Orange County Transportation Authority bus terminal. The other offer comes from UC Irvine, which wants the court to relocate on campus, alongside its industrial park.

The price for the property at either location is almost the same.

A decision is expected in the next couple of months, said William C. Vickrey, administrative director of the state courts, which is headquartered in San Francisco. A 10-member advisory committee comprising judges, lawyers and others is meeting Monday to discuss the proposals.

The choice will be made by the 21 members of the Judicial Council, headed by the state chief justice, and then reviewed by the state Public Works Board.

The state began looking for a new site in 2000 because the court had run out of space, and two judges’ chambers were in another building.

Several years ago, negotiations between the state and Santa Ana fell apart over price and size of the property, Vickrey said.

When the state later sought proposals by Jan. 30, 2004, Santa Ana made another offer, along with UCI. Because the court insisted on buying the property, UCI’s proposal of a long-term lease was rejected, Vickrey said.

Santa Ana submitted its offer Jan. 23, 2004, and has been negotiating with the state for six months, City Manager David N. Ream said. They have agreed on $2.3 million for 2 acres on Ross Street, next to the federal courthouse.

The council is expected to vote on the deal Monday.

The state “has been working with us to finalize an agreement, so we were very optimistic in terms of getting this deal done, and we still are,” Ream said.

He said the city was not surprised by the UCI offer, which came Monday -- more than a year after the original deadline. “They [the state] never ruled out a proposal by UCI,” he said. “They were very honest in that matter.”

Santa Ana Councilman Jose Solorio, a former UCI student body president, said that although Anaheim was known for its tourism, “in Santa Ana we hold a lot of our chits in being the county seat, which means having the Civic Center. Anytime outside interests want to take away from the Civic Center, we take it very seriously.”

In addition, he pointed out, the six state appellate courts were located in county seats.

Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), an attorney, threw his support to Santa Ana after meeting with city officials Monday.

UCI’s proposal consists of 2 1/2 acres across from the University Research Park, on Bison Avenue and West Peltason Drive, said Michael Gottfredson, the campus’ executive vice chancellor.

Sources familiar with the offer said the university had offered to sell the land for $2.4 million. The proposal would include a 54,000-square-foot building and about 130 parking spaces.

Part of the proposal includes shared use of a law library among the court, students and faculty, Gottfredson said.

An appellate court on campus would provide momentum for UCI’s long-desired law school.

Even without the law school, Gottfredson said, several professors are involved in research on legal matters, especially in the School of Social Ecology.

Gottfredson said the court would provide another resource for students and faculty. He said the university would encourage the judges to lecture on campus, if not teach classes.

“I’m hopeful the court would seem a similar benefit of being located on a major research university campus to interact with our students and faculty,” Gottfredson said.