The New York Times-20080125-Bronx Courthouse to Open- Costlier and Later Than Planned
Return to: The_New_York_Times-20080125
Bronx Courthouse to Open, Costlier and Later Than Planned
After many delays and cost overruns of nearly $100 million, the state's newest courthouse, the Bronx County Hall of Justice, is scheduled to open next week, officials said on Thursday.
Cases will be heard on Monday at the $421 million courthouse, in the South Bronx near the borough's other large courthouses, said Ronald Younkins, chief of operations for the Office of Court Administration.
Construction began in 2001 on the nine-story, 775,000-square-foot building that stretches for two blocks along 161st Street.
It was to be completed in 2005 at a cost of $325 million. But delays occurred because of a variety of problems, including soil contaminated with petroleum and the disqualification of the original contractor because of suspicions of mob ties.
The 200-space underground garage, which was declared unsafe after inspectors found that its ceiling had bowed, will not open along with the rest of the courthouse, officials said. It was unclear when it would be repaired, but engineers have determined that the garage problems are not a threat to the building's overall structural safety.
The building's jury rooms are also said to be too small to house jurors comfortably, but Mr. Younkins said a panel of the court's judges is investigating the problem and that it will not further postpone the opening.
Mr. Younkins said that the most recent delay had resulted from a faulty air-conditioning system responsible for cooling courtroom computers. That problem has been fixed, he said.
The building is expected to relieve overcrowding in the Bronx County Courthouse, at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, and the Bronx Family/Criminal Courthouse, a few blocks east on 161st Street.
The new courthouse, designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, has a translucent glass and aluminum facade, courtrooms equipped with video monitors to allow defendants to watch their trials from jail cells if necessary, and a design that allows sunlight to reach each of its 47 large courtrooms.
The building's exterior glass wall subtly changes color as it rises from street level in two different patterns. At street level, the windows are opaque for privacy and security, but they become clearer at the top.
The glass was tested at a blast simulator at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to ensure it could absorb the shock waves of a bomb blast.
[Illustration]PHOTO: A rock garden at the Bronx County Hall of Justice. The building stretches for two blocks along 161st Street.(PHOTOGRAPH BY FRED R. CONRAD/THE NEW YORK TIMES)