They say good things come to those who wait. Judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officials and others who spend their days in and out of courtrooms in San Diego waited more than a decade for a proposed new state courthouse to become reality. Most will agree the 25-story tower at the intersection of Union and C streets, which officially opened in December 2017, was worthy of their patience.

The 370-foot tall structure replaces a three-block-long, seven-story county courthouse that opened in 1961. Local and state officials initially proposed the project in 2004, but plans were put on hold until 2010. The new courthouse consolidates San Diego County’s criminal trial, family and civil courts into a facility that is loaded with high-tech features, including a radiant heating and cooling system that runs throughout the public corridors on each floor and the expansive, multi-use public space on the building’s first three floors.