Photos: Unveiling of the new Contra Costa County Administration Building in Martinez (2024)

At least a hundred or more people turned out for the unveiling of the new Contra Costa County Administration Building in downtown Martinez on Tuesday.

The 66,000-square-foot, three-story structure stands on a site previously occupied by the 12-story former county building built in 1964. The site also held the old county jail, built in 1902. Its second-floor balcony looks out over downtown Martinez and the adjacent Contra Costa County Tax Collector building.

According to the county, it’s the first government building in the world to achieve the Total Resource Use and Efficiency certification. TRUE is a zero-waste certification used to cut the carbon footprint and help support public health.

County supervisor and board chair Federal Glover, supervisors Candace Andersen, Diane Burgis, Ken Carlson and John Gioia,Mayor Brianne Zorn and Chief Assistant County Administrator Eric Angstadt were among the many speakers.

After the program, lunch was served under a giant white tent in the plaza, and tours of the building were given.

Funding for the project came from $45 million in bonds issued in 2021, with the rest coming from the county’s general fund capital reserves. The County Administrator’s office and the Public Works Department gave the design-build team of Webcor/Perkins & Will a $58 million construction contract to do the work.

The project enhances community space by adding a new public law library, ground-floor retail spaces and a parking garage. It also includes street improvements and an advanced stormwater system.

The building is currently open and a hub for several county administrative departments, including the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, the Law Library, the Public Defender, the County Sheriff’s Civil Division, the Communications and Media Department and the Information Technology Department.

“The new building showcases state-of-the-art architecture that harmonizes beautifully with the surrounding historic buildings, rejuvenating the public plaza,” county officials said. “It embodies sustainability with on-site photovoltaics for high-performance energy use and low-embodied carbon materials.”

A drone view of the new Contra Costa County Administration Building, right, in downtown Martinez, Calif., on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)