Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye broke ground today on a new Bronx Criminal Court Complex that will house 62 new courtrooms to handle criminal cases. Occupying a three-block site on East 161st Street near Grand Concourse Boulevard, the 1.11 million square feet, 10-story high complex will provide office space for court-related agencies, including the Department of Correction and the New York City Police Department. The Board of Education also plans to construct a new High School for Law, Government and Justice on a site adjacent to the new complex to give the school's 733 children more exposure to the day-to-day workings of the court.

Also joining the Mayor were Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman; Tom Murphy, Executive Director, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York; and New York City Criminal Justice Coordinator Steven Fishner.

"When this complex is completed, it will serve as a constant reminder of our City's commitment to the administration of justice," the Mayor said. "It will reinforce the perception that our legal system is the bedrock upon which our society is founded. Toward that end, the complex is designed to ensure that court proceedings occur in dignified surroundings -- a central theme throughout the City's Court Master Plan."

Chief Judge Kaye said, "I am so pleased to be joining the Mayor to inaugurate the start of yet another new court construction project. This new facility -- a spacious building that will allow for the maximum efficiency in court operations -- will ensure a dignified environment for decades to come. On behalf of the Judiciary, I would like to thank the Mayor for his continued support and cooperation in providing New Yorkers suitable, proper court facilities befitting the administration of justice."

Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman said, "The Bronx Court Complex is part of New York City's Master Plan for the renovation and construction of courthouses in all five boroughs and is the ninth new courthouse project in recent years. The new building will have 47 courtrooms, providing sorely needed space for this borough's overburdened Supreme Criminal courthouse. I would like to join the Chief Judge in thanking the Mayor for making decent, dignified court facilities one of the priorities of his administration, for which the residents and legal community of the Bronx will soon benefit."

Phase I of the project, scheduled to be completed in 2004, will create 47 Supreme Court Criminal Term parts -- 34 parts relocated from the existing Merola County Courthouse, five court parts from the existing Family Criminal Court and 8 new courts. Phase II, scheduled to be completed in 2010, will create 15 New York City Criminal Court parts -- 13 from existing Criminal/Family Courts and two new parts. The complex will bring over 240 news jobs to the area through the creation of additional court parts and the expansion of Civil and Family Courts.

The Supreme Court Criminal and Civil Terms are currently housed in the Merola Courthouse, built in 1928, and designated a landmark in 1976. Until last year, the site for the new complex remained comprised of residential buildings with the remainder used for parking and retail space. The complex was designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, and construction is being managed by the State Dormitory Authority on behalf of the City. As part of the Complex, the City is providing funding for a new streetscape along 161^st Street, and a new daycare center for court employees.

A number of courthouse projects are underway or have been completed as part of New York City's $2.5 billion court construction plan:

• Construction of a new Queens Civil Court, and Bronx Housing Court, both completed in 1997.
• A new Queens Family Court is under construction and scheduled to be completed in 2002.
• The City broke ground on the combined Family and Supreme Court Criminal Term Courthouse in Brooklyn in June of this year.
• The Plan also calls for additional courthouse buildings in Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan.
• In addition to the construction of new facilities, the City has undertaken major renovations of existing court facilities. For example, major renovations are currently underway at the Queens Supreme Court and the Manhattan Family Court, and renovation plans are being designed for the Manhattan Civil Court.
  
  

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