Courthouse work begins

As approximately 40 subcontractors met with Sundt construction officials Thursday to go over details of the Porterville Courthouse project, workers at the site were beginning preliminary work.

The lead contractor on the $93 million project outlined the timelime and what was expected of the subcontractors during a meeting at Porterville City Hall. All subs have been hired — about 43 main subcontractors and then scores of smaller subcontractors. All of the main subcontractors are from outside of Porterville, but some of the smaller subcontractors are from around the Valley.

Also Thursday, some of the large earth-moving equipment began to arrive onto the old Porterville Fairgrounds. Tuesday was the first official day of construction.

Demolition of what’s left of the old Fairgrounds should begin next week and be completed within two weeks. Actual construction is slated to begin Feb. 17, said Lars Fredrickson Jr. with Sundt which is setting up in the old Fairgrounds office.

The nine-courtroom facility will be full-service and expand the number of courtrooms in Porterville from three to six at the outset. Within a few years, all nine courtrooms are expected to be utilized at the new facility.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in October of 2013, said Jerry Avalos, project manager.

Fredrickson said the first thing people will notice is site preparation, such as fencing and then the demolition. Next will be the digging of the basement.

“It will be a holding area (for prisoners) with a Sally Port off of Garden Street,” said Fredrickson of the basement.

The steel for the four-story, 96,532 square foot structure will arrive in June. “You’ll be seeing something begin to stick up in June,” he said of when framing of the facility will begin.
Fredrickson said as many as 200 people a day will be working at the site once the steel starts to go up.

Sundt has worked on three other state courthouses. Fredrickson said local residents will like the walk up feature of the Porterville facility.

“The big draw will be exterior vendor windows so people can do business without having to go through security,” he pointed out.

A ground breaking ceremony for the project will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 on Thursday, Feb. 23. Most of that ceremony will be held at the National Guard Armory.