Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

New Federal Courthouse for Harrisburg Clears Major Hurdle

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The site of the proposed federal courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets in Harrisburg.

A proposed new federal courthouse for Harrisburg has taken a significant step forward, as U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said he has secured the remaining funds for construction.

In a statement, Barletta said the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, on which he sits, approved full funding for the $194.4 million courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets. Congress has already appropriated about $55 million for land acquisition, feasibility studies and design.

“Today marks the culmination of a lot of hard work by this committee, the judiciary, and the people of Harrisburg,” Barletta said in a statement. “This has been a long time coming, with various baby steps along the way, but now the Harrisburg courthouse will finally become a reality.”

The full House and Senate still must pass a final bill appropriating the money, but Barletta spokesman Tim Murtaugh called House committee approval the greatest obstacle.

“This was the major hurdle,” he said.

After many years of searching for a location, the federal government selected the Midtown site in 2010, acquiring the land and razing a few old buildings. However, the site has sat empty since, as the project has awaited funds for construction.

Barletta said that he had re-considered the scope of the project, perhaps in favor of an annex to the existing federal courthouse downtown. However, upon the advice of Judge D. Brooks Smith of Altoona, who sits on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals and serves as the chairman of the federal judiciary’s Committee on Space and Facilities, he finally agreed that a new facility was needed.

The 243,000-square-foot building will contain as many as eight courtrooms, including three for district judges, two for senior district judges, two for magistrate judges and one for bankruptcy judges. The plan also calls for about 43 parking spaces.

Assuming that Congress appropriates the money, several years will likely pass before construction begins. Earlier this year, the U.S. General Services Administration released a priority list for new courthouses and annexes around the country, putting eight other projects ahead of Harrisburg. After funding is appropriated, it will be up to GSA and the U.S. Courts to determine the actual construction schedule.

“A new courthouse represents an economic boost for the city of Harrisburg,” Barletta said. “There will be jobs created directly related to the construction of the building, as well as economic development that will continue to grow around the activity centered at the courthouse. This will benefit a lot of people.”

Author: Lawrance Binda

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