Department of Design and Construction311Search all NYC.gov websites

City Begins Restoration of Front Steps of the Landmark Staten Island Supreme Court Building

Project to Rejuvenate Steps, Handrails and Lighting at Historic 1913 Courthouse

DCAS: Nick Benson, 646-832-6533, nbenson@dcas.nyc.gov
DDC: Ian Michaels, 646-939-6514, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov

(Staten Island, NY – March 30, 2022) NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley today announced the beginning of a $5,177,000 project to restore the historic front stairs, handrails and other items at the façade of the Staten Island Supreme Court building located at 18 Richmond Terrace. The project, which is funded by DCAS and managed by DDC, will begin in April and is projected to be completed in fall of next year.

Staten Island Supreme Court Building

The steps, handrails and lighting in front of the landmarked Staten Island Supreme Court building at 18 Richmond Terrace will be upgraded under a $5.177 million project by DCAS and DDC

The French Renaissance style, temple-fronted limestone courthouse, built in 1913, sits atop an impressive limestone podium fronting Richmond Terrace and New York Harbor and is a designated New York City landmark. The front limestone steps are showing signs of subsiding and substantially weathered. Beneath the steps, concrete beams are in need of repair.

The project includes the replacement of the building’s existing limestone steps and landings with more durable granite stairs with bluestone landing pavers. The concrete adjacent to the steps will be replaced and the existing structural support beneath the stairs will be rebuilt with new reinforced concrete columns and beams. New ornamental bronze handrails intended to look like the building’s original handrails as seen in historic drawings will be installed.

The project will also replace the coping stone and iron picket fence above a retaining wall located along Schuyler Street. Four new exterior lights designed to match the exiting historic fixtures and brackets will be installed along the building portico. A new sidewalk and curbs will complete the job along Richmond Terrace.

“The Staten Island Supreme Court building is not only a vital public facility, but also a point of civic pride that should be preserved for future generations,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “I am proud of DCAS’s role managing this historic facility, and we are happy to invest in its future.”

“Courthouse steps have traditionally been an important public meeting spot and the City’s historically accurate restoration of the steps at the Staten Island Supreme Court building will once again make that possible,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “We look forward to completing the work next year.”

The contractor performing the work is XBR Inc., based in Astoria, Queens.


About DCAS
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

  • Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees
  • Managing 55 public buildings
  • Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property
  • Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies
  • Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country
  • Leading the City's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas or by following us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15.5 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.