One year ago on April 30, 2025, Judicial Council of California, Mendocino Superior Court and building partners Hensel Phelps, Kitchell CEM and Fentress Architects celebrated the beginning of construction of a new, state-of-the-art courthouse in Ukiah. This project had been under development for more than a decade. Through the persistence of the Judicial Council and the Court, the courthouse’s design and the procurement of building partners was finally realized and State funding was secured. The new three-story, seven-courtroom, 82,000 square-foot courthouse now stands at the corner of Perkins Street and Hospital Drive.
Over the last twelve months, Hensel Phelps and its many trade partners and engineers have expertly completed the construction of a new street (an extension of Hospital Drive to be named Courthouse Boulevard); parking areas; foundation work; framing; electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems, and a myriad of other building features that will enhance the public’s experience when coming to the courthouse. From its inception, the Court, Judicial Council and building partners have been focused on ensuring that the new courthouse highlights public safety, modern and efficient design, smart technologies and environmental sustainability. These goals are always in the forefront of the team’s design and construction process.
Hensel Phelps Project Manager Dave Canada highlighted the project’s culture, noting, “The strong collaborative environment onsite is what truly distinguishes this project. Guided by the leadership of the Judicial Council of California, the team has been empowered to deliver excellence through innovative approaches such as prefabrication, robotic layout, and virtual modeling, while preserving and celebrating the rich character of Mendocino County.”
Kahyun Lee, Civic Lead, Project Architect and Lead Designer, commented:
“One year into construction, it is rewarding to see our design vision take shape. From the beginning, our goal was to create a courthouse that reflects the beauty of Mendocino County. Inspired by the region’s iconic redwood forest, the design draws from the concept of ‘shivelight’ – a term coined by poet Gerard Manley Hopkins to describe the clear shafts of sunlight filtering through a canopy of trees. The building’s vertical forms, two story volume lobby with entry canopy, and interior finishes and color pallets are designed to evoke the experience of walking in the filtered light of a redwood forest. Our design team is excited to see a civic building emerge that is both rooted in its surroundings and designed to serve the community.”
The Court plans to preserve the history and legacy of the older facilities that have served the community for decades. Court Executive Officer Kim Turner provided more details on these plans. “We have so many plans to make our courthouse reflect the character of Mendocino County and its residents. The Court is working with the Mendocino Museum to bring the historic murals in our current courthouse, painted in the 1970s, to the new facility by digitally reproducing them and mounting them in key locations. In addition, the historic oil painting of Montgomery Redwoods, painted in 1913 by Georgie Singley and exhibited at the Pan Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco in 1915 will be displayed in the public lobby. This painting reflects the inspiration for the exterior design of the courthouse, in which the vertical panels represent redwood tree trunks of differing widths that will provide filtered light into the interior space. We are planning a gallery display of Native artifacts and objects in the clerk’s office waiting area. The Court is also refurbishing 100-year-old shelving that will display the beautiful old minute books that used to contain court records prior to the advent of individual case files. Finally, the Court has launched a photography contest, inviting local photographers to submit photos of Mendocino County that capture its beauty and diversity. Winners of this contest will have their photos on display in the public areas of the courthouse.”
As was the case over the last year, the work ahead will be visible to the public. By the end of 2026, the exterior of the courthouse will be completed and much of the interior finish work will be underway. Then in early 2027, some of the landscaping will begin, highlighting native species, including pollinators, grasses and trees. In fact, to pay homage to the 130-year-old magnolia trees on the current courthouse site, the Court has asked a local horticulturist to propagate these trees to start new, young magnolias to be planted at the new courthouse. Turner states, “It will be amazing to bring these landmark trees to our new site. We know that the saplings will not mature enough for planting when the new courthouse opens but we will leave space for them in our landscape plan.” Solar panels will be installed over each of the project’s 160 parking stalls, lowering electricity consumption while offering shaded parking for the public, jurors, Court staff and justice partners. As the summer approaches, the Court will be setting up the interior space with furnishings and technology equipment with a goal of cutting the ribbon in the summer 2027.
Presiding Judge Carly Dolan summarized this effort by stating:
“We are so proud to bring this public project to the community and hope all will agree that it was worth the wait. Unless we run into an unforeseen challenge, we are on track to finish construction next summer. To complete a project of this magnitude on time and within budget is a remarkable accomplishment.”
