After seven years of planning, construction of the new federal courthouse on Niagara Square is scheduled to begin this summer, or not. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, of which Congressman Brian Higgins’s is a member, passed a resolution authorizing the General Services Administration (GSA) to proceed with construction. This action removes one of final impediments to the new $130 million, 10-story glass clad structure to be located between City Hall and Statler Tower. GSA will announce in March which projects are to receive funding across the country.
Construction was set to begin in 2002, but was delayed several times due to lack of funding. The Judicial Conference ranks the Buffalo Courthouse as its top construction priority nationwide. A replacement for the existing Michael Dillon U.S. Courthouse was sought after it was determined it was no longer adequate and has major security concerns.
Work is expected to take 33 months and court personnel should be moving into the new facility by mid-2010 under current plans. New York City-based Kohn Pederson Fox Architects designed the 268,000 sq.ft. building. The firm also designed M&T Center at Fountain Plaza (former Goldome) and the new Buffalo Niagara International Airport terminal.
“We have waited for almost seven years for this new courthouse to be built, and finally, we have progress.” – Congressman Brian Higgins