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Rep. Costa Kicks Off Construction of New Bakersfield Courthouse

July 13, 2010

RecoveryAct-funded courthouse in Bakersfield boosts Valley jobs and business


BAKERSFIELD, CA– Congressman Jim Costa joined with U.S. General Services Administration Administrator Martha Johnson, Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall, Chief Judge Anthony Ishii and others today to break ground on the new U.S. Courthouse in Bakersfield. The new courthouse, made possible through $28.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is already spurring economic development and job creation for area contractors and businesses.
"The new courthouse is an investment in the future of our Valley that isalready creating jobs and spurring economic growth for the people of Bakersfield," said Costa. "Securing these federal funds for our communities is a key part of our fight to strengthen our Valley's economy. I would like to thank the entire city of Bakersfield and our local leaders for working with me on this project, and I look forward tocelebrating the official opening in 2012. This is part of our continuing effort to return our fair share of tax dollars that we send to Washington home to our Valley."

Despite the critical need for a new facility, the U.S. Courthouse in Bakersfield lacked sufficient funding for construction until the Recovery Act awarded $28.5 million to the project. The new courthouse will house a U.S. Magistrate Court and Chamber, the District Clerk's Office, U.S. Marshals office, and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. The new courthouse is also unique in its state-of-the-art energy efficient design. Both the building materials and the actual construction are aimed at reducing energy costs and saving taxpayer dollars.

To date, the Recovery Act has invested $462,779,140 in California's 20thCongressional District. It has invested $433,479,630 in Kern County.*


*Numbers taken from www.recovery.gov