Countywide : Retrofitting Planned for Central Courthouse

The county is about to embark on a $1.2-million earthquake retrofitting project at the Central Courthouse, one of the oldest buildings in the Santa Ana Civic Center.

Officials said the improvements will bring the 11-story building up to current seismic standards and help it better withstand an earthquake.

The plan calls for the replacement of some fiberglass wall coverings on the structure’s exterior. The fiberglass panels could become loose and fall during a temblor, said Jack D. Leaning of the county’s General Services Agency.

The county also plans to strengthen some of the building’s steel supports, Leaning added.

About 70% of the project will be funded by a state grant that is part of the Earthquake Safety and Public Building Rehabilitation Act of 1990. The remainder will be covered by county redevelopment funds.

The Central Courthouse, which houses superior and municipal courts as well as some district attorney’s offices, was built about 30 years ago, when earthquake construction standards were less stringent than today’s.