Escondido Plan for Courthouse Left in Limbo

A plan to build a 50-courtroom building in downtown Escondido, which seemed to be an instant solution to the county’s severe shortage of space, collapsed Tuesday when county supervisors opened up the bidding countywide.

The Escondido proposal by Lusardi Construction Co. would have used funds from the Escondido Community Development Commission for planning and bonds sold by the redevelopment agency to pay for the county’s share of building the $70-million structure.

On Tuesday, the board of supervisors put the public-private courtroom project on hold for at least a week and authorized sending a letter to all cities and redevelopment agencies in the county soliciting competing proposals for courtroom space.

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen recommended that the county seek other proposals to gauge the validity of the “sole source” Escondido offer, which was later scaled down to a 35-courtroom building that would serve 50 judges through a court-sharing system patterned after a successful operation in Canada.

Despite what appeared to be a start of a bidding war for the courtroom project, Ken Lounsbery, vice president and general counsel for Lusardi, committed the company to developing a “cookie-cutter plan” for court buildings that could be used on any site anywhere in the county, even if the Escondido project is not approved.

Shared-Courtroom Concept

Escondido Mayor Jim Rady said the city’s redevelopment agency would finance the courthouse study, even though the city “might lose a million dollars” if the county decides not to participate in the Escondido courthouse project. He said he felt that the Lusardi proposal for a major court facility in Escondido would prevail.

The shared-courtroom concept, now in operation in Ontario and Montreal courtrooms, uses a pool of judges assigned to courtrooms as needed. The system allows full use of court space and a smaller supporting staff of clerks, bailiffs and reporters.

Vista, which stands to lose its place as the lone North County court site, made a bid to retain its position Tuesday. Mayor Gloria McClellan presented a plan which involved a land swap with a private landowner which would secure six acres next to the present North County complex on South Melrose Avenue.

Ernest Hunt Jr., attorney representing Breeze Hill Ranch Corp., said the company is willing to swap the adjacent six-acre tract for a county-owned parcel nearby.

San Diego Shows Interest

“We considered this (courthouse expansion) a fait accompli, “ Hunt said, explaining why the firm did not come forward earlier. “If the county is in fact still open to proposals, we would like an opportunity to bid.” He said the firm, which owns 50 acres around the Vista county complex, could offer the county a “build to suit” courthouse on the six-acre tract next to the present county complex.

Board Chairman Brian Bilbray said San Diego also has received an expression of interest about building courtrooms in the downtown San Diego area from Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

The board voted to delay approval of the Lusardi/Escondido CDC offer to proceed with planning of the courthouse complex for one week until county staff members had an opportunity to explore the “no strings” offer with Escondido redevelopment officials and Lusardi representatives.

Lounbery said the Lusardi firm made the offer to proceed with courthouse planning without county commitment to the downtown Escondido courthouse because it would be a mistake “to delay planning for six months while you look for a funding source” to finance the estimated $50 million project.