Contact: Sunny Mindel/Matthew Higgins, Mayor's Press Office (212) 788-2958
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani joined Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye and public officials today to break ground for construction of the first new Queens Family Courthouse in more than thirty years. Aside from housing sixteen courtrooms, seven hearing rooms and judges' chambers, the new, state-of-the-art facility will provide office space for agencies that frequently interact with the Queens Family Court, including the New York City Administration for Children's Services, the Department of Probation and the Corporation Counsel.
The Mayor was also joined for the ground breaking ceremony by Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Executive Director of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York Thomas J. Murphy, and Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman.
"This modern facility will create an environment better suited to the subject matter that the Family Court contends with on a daily basis," the Mayor said. "Our courts have no more important business than the lives of children and families. The new courthouse will enhance the Family Court's overall ability to handle its demanding caseload, and will allow for a more coordinated approach among those agencies that often interact with the Court. In addition, the award-winning design will serve as a model for public buildings that are at once aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. "
Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye said, "Decent, dignified courthouses are critical to maintaining the air of decorum necessary for the administration of justice. I am pleased that the City shares the court system's commitment toward providing suitable court facilities for the citizens of New York City, and I thank Mayor Giuliani for his outstanding leadership in this area."
Queens Borough President Claire Shulman said, "This new, state-of-the-art facility will provide a welcoming environment for families, and will be more sensitive to the needs of those who use and work in the courthouse every day. It will also include specialized facilities for supervised visitation, daycare, and other functions, and will have office space for child protection and other social service agencies which interact daily with the Court."
The new building, designed and constructed under the auspices of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), will be approximately 300,000 square feet, and will be located on Jamaica Avenue and 153rd Street. The City of New York will provide funds for the $85 million project, which will be financed through bonds issued by DASNY with an interest aid subsidy provided by the State of New York. The new facility will replace the existing Queens Family Courthouse, which was originally built as a library and converted to its current use in the 1960's.
The architectural firms of Pei Cobb Freed and Associates and Gruzen Samton, LLP designed the project. The facility will consist of two wings joined by a common entry. One wing will house the courtrooms and court-related space, while the other wing will provide office space for court-related agencies. The Art Commission of the City of New York recognized the innovative design of the new courthouse at its Seventeenth Annual Awards for Excellence in Design: "The challenge to create a new family court that would also accommodate the support services needed by the court's clients has been creatively solved by this design."
This project is just one courthouse within the City's Court Facilities Master Plan, a $2.5 billion program which will include new family courts in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, as well as extensive renovation to Manhattan Family Court. The plan also calls for the construction of numerous new courthouses Citywide and the renovation of many others.
The Queens Family Courthouse project is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2001.