Courthouse makeover

What some observers said, though, is that they would rather recapture the millions of dollars being spent on replacing the current facade. None would offer their names but each person queried who did not support the facelift said the money would be better spent on other Redwood City or county needs.

The courthouse is home to the San Mateo County History Museum. As part of the renovation, the Fiscal Building will come down and a new $1.5 million plaza will arise on Broadway across from the Fox Theater. County and city officials believe the project, slated to finish in July 2006, will bolster ongoing construction of a new 20-screen theater and draw thousands of new people to the area.

John Anagostou, of the Downtown Business Group, recalled how he pointed out the thousands of people attending a baseball game at SBC Park to his son. That is the amount of people who will soon be drawn to downtown Redwood City, he said.

As historians, politicians and architects heralded the facade reconstruction commencement, a group of school children toured the historical museum on the other side. A docent told the group about the upcoming plans and shared the lengthy history of the building.

Prior to 1939, when the Fiscal Building was built in front of the courthouse as a Works Project Administration project, the courthouse opened its Roman Renaissance-style portico onto a park on Broadway, serving a centerpiece of downtown Redwood City and San Mateo County.

Over the last year, designers and residents have held public workshops about what they envision for downtown. The result is blueprints for the upcoming plaza and restoring the courthouse to its prior splendor. City officials want more pedestrian traffic and an area where the community can congregate. The goal is to play to nostalgia rather than offering a modern courtyard.

Over and over again, speakers yesterday said the new design opens up the future by harkening to the past. The new design will restore the grand staircase and make its distinctive stained glass dome more inviting to those strolling down Broadway.

Redwood City Vice Mayor Barbara Pierce said the project should be finished by July 2006, just in time for families to use the space to celebrate the Fourth of July.

In 2003, the City Council allocated $7 million in redevelopment funds toward the entire facade facelift and courthouse plaza construction.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.