Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Susan Davis (D-San Diego) lauded the General Services Administration’s (GSA) award of $295.7 million for construction of the new United States Courthouse in San Diego.

The contract was awarded to Hensel Phelps Construction of Irvine, CA, which estimates that the project will create about 2,000 jobs in San Diego.

Senator Boxer said, “This funding could not come at a more critical time as it will create much-needed jobs and help boost San Diego’s economy. And the new courthouse will be a more secure facility that will help federal judges in San Diego keep pace with one of the nation’s heaviest caseloads.”

Representative Davis said, “This project is critical for San Diego's judicial system, for public safety, and for creating jobs in our region.  As the courthouse annex moves into the construction phase, the vision of additional court space for San Diego is becoming a reality.”

The existing San Diego courthouse is one of the busiest border courts in the country, with over 200 in-custody defendants each day.  Currently the courthouse needs security upgrades, additional holding cells and more space to accommodate added district judges. 

Senator Boxer and Representative Davis were instrumental in securing this funding.  Boxer is chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which authorizes funding for courthouse construction.  Davis worked closely with the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to keep this project on track, recently securing a final authorizing resolution to begin construction.