The federal courthouse site at N. 6th and Reily streets in Harrisburg.
A new federal courthouse for Harrisburg has taken another small step forward, becoming the top priority for the next round of courthouse funding.
Rep. Lou Barletta said today that the federal judiciary has agreed that the $194.4 million courthouse will be the first project funded when a new appropriations round passes Congress. It’s expected the money will be approved next year and included in the fiscal 2018 budget.
“The rigorous analysis that the judiciary applies to ranking courthouse projects that most merit Congressional funding has resulted in Harrisburg as the top priority for fiscal year 2018,” said D. Brooks Smith, chief judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, who had been chairman of the Committee on Space and Facilities until recently.
However, don’t expect to see dump trucks and cranes at the N. 6th and Reily street site anytime soon. Assuming the money is appropriated as part of the fiscal 2018 budget, the federal judiciary and the General Services Administration will need to determine the timeframe for construction.
There currently are eight courthouse projects nationally ahead of Harrisburg, all of which were fully funded this year. In that funding round, the Harrisburg courthouse received $29.5 million for additional feasibility and design work.
“There’s no real timeline for groundbreaking,” affirmed Barletta spokesman Tim Murtaugh. “But, again, this is a major milestone.”
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.
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.
“Each bit of good news brings us closer to the day when we can cut the ribbon and open the new courthouse,” Barletta said in a statement.
Author: Lawrance Binda
