In the Press

The Courthouse is in Session

The reinvention of First Street in the Civic Center that began when the Caltrans headquarters opened in 2004 and continued with the arrival of the Police Administration Building five years later has now taken another step forward: Yesterday, a grand opening was held for the $350 million United States Courthouse at 350 W. First St.

The sleek, energy-efficient structure, which was formally unveiled on Thursday, Oct. 13, holds 24 courtrooms, 32 judges’ chambers and offices. With 633,000 square feet of space, the glass-heavy development designed by the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill has been nicknamed the “Floating Cube,” for the way it seems to hover over a narrow stone base.