GSA Identifies ARRA-Funded Federal Courthouse Projects
Agency Announces New Construction and Modernization Spending Plan
WASHINGTON — The General Services Administration plans to direct $240 million of the agency’s stimulus funding allocation to new courthouse construction projects in fives states, according to a detailed project-specific spending plan submitted to Congress.
The GSA spending plan allocates more than $116 million to the proposed new U.S. courthouse in Austin, Texas, and almost $80 million toward construction of a new federal courthouse in Billings, Mont. The plan also includes more than $31 million for a new U.S. courthouse in Bakersfield, Calif.
Agency officials allocated a combined $14 million to cover cost escalations on federal courthouse projects in El Paso, Texas; Jackson, Miss.; and Little Rock Ark, according to the GSA submission.
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act authorizes $5.55 billion for the construction, renovation and upgrade of federal buildings and courthouses, and U.S. ports.
Many of the existing federal courthouse buildings throughout the United States have serious structural or buildings systems problems, or space or security issues that render them substandard, inadequate or unsafe, according to the Judicial Conference of the United States.
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In 2008, the conference identified proposed courthouse buildings in Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Mobile, Ala., Nashville, Tenn., and Savannah, Ga., as the highest priority new construction projects.
Several high-priority projects did not receive funding in the GSA spending plan.
The federal government’s $410 billion omnibus-spending bill signed into law by President Barack Obama included a $110 million earmark for a new San Diego courthouse.
Despite being identified as high-priority projects, the high cost estimates of proposed new courthouses for Los Angeles and Salt Lake City likely counted against their inclusion in the GSA spending plan, experts say.
The estimated cost of the Los Angeles courthouse, which was originally planned to incorporate more than 41 courtrooms, increased $530 million to $1.1 billion, according to an audit released by the Government Accountability Office.
The audit proposed several downsized alternatives, costing between $280 million to $730 million. However, the small-scale courthouses do not provide sufficient additional space to replace the two existing court buildings.
In Salt Lake City, construction of a new courthouse to replace the existing six-courtroom building, which dates to the New Deal, is projected to cost more than $200 million, officials say. The replacement building has been mooted for almost 15 years but was not included in the GSA spending plan.
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The existing U.S. courthouse in Mobile, which was also constructed during the New Deal, suffered significant flood damage during hurricane Katrina, has problems with aging building systems, safety and security, officials say.
owever, the estimated cost of the replacement project has more than doubled to approximately $190 million.
The GSA established a regionally based program management office to oversee the delivery of ARRA projects and will administer stimulus funds under the Federal Buildings Fund program.
The spending plan submitted to Congress, which details project-specific fund allocations, is composed of four lists divided by project type, such as new construction or full/partial building modernization.
The building modernization initiative will focus on upgrading major M/E/P building systems, including HVAC, lighting and plumbing fixtures, and systems controls to improve resource conservation and reduce operational costs. The initiative will also fund projects that incorporate sustainability strategies, such as storm-water management measures and renewable energy installations.
More than $1.3 billion is allocated to new construction of federal buildings and courthouses, border patrol stations and ports of entry, according to the spending plan. Of the almost $4.3 billion allocated under the High-Performance Green Building Program, more than $3.1 billion will be spent on full or partial building modernizations.
The remainder is allocated to limited-scope or small modernization projects ($1.1 billion), the rental of space and building operations ($235 million), the office of high-performing green buildings and an apprenticeship program ($7 million), according to the GSA submission.
GSA officials selected projects to receive stimulus funding based on the defining objectives of the stimulus legislation, including job creation. The transformation of federal buildings into high-performance, energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable facilities represents another fundamental criterion, officials say.