Hall of Justice to reopen in 2014

Los Angeles’ long-slumbering Hall of Justice just moved closer to a 2014 reawakening as a new home for the Sheriff’s Department and members of the District Attorney’s staff.

The storied 1925 building, which played host to some of L.A.’s most famous and infamous figures, from Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan to Marilyn Monroe after her death, has been closed since the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

Since then, workers have virtually gutted the space to set the stage for the hall’s revival. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved a design-build contractor, Clark Construction Group California LP, to finish the job.

The board’s action set the budget for the project at $231,785,000. Long term bonds were issued to fund the project in November. A report submitted to supervisors said the debt service on the bonds would be more than covered by lease savings realized by moving staff into the rehabilitated building. Over 30 years, the net lease savings would be $160,300,000, the report said.

When finished, the building will feature 308,000 square feet of office space and a 1,000-space parking structure.

Clark is set to begin design-build work next month. The report said the company has offered to upgrade the finished building’s environmental ranking from LEED Silver to LEED Gold at no additional cost to the county.

To get a look at the Hall of Justice’s historic interior as it awaits transformation, check out this flashlight tour.

Posted 7/12/11