Bronx County Hall of Justice

Building in New York City, United States
40°49′34.2″N 73°55′9.3″W / 40.826167°N 73.919250°W / 40.826167; -73.919250Address265 East 161st StreetTown or cityBronx, New York CityCountryUnited StatesConstruction started2001Completed2008Cost$421 millionDesign and constructionArchitect(s)Rafael Viñoly

The Bronx County Hall of Justice is a courthouse at 265 East 161st Street, between Sherman and Morris Avenues in the Concourse section of the Bronx in New York City. The ten-story, 775,000-square-foot (72,000 m2) building includes 47 New York Supreme Court and New York City Criminal Court courtrooms, 7 grand jury rooms, and office space for the New York City Department of Correction, the New York City Department of Probation, and the district attorney.[1]

Construction

The steel and glass building was designed by Rafael Viñoly. Construction began on August 14, 2001, with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani attending a breaking ground ceremony.[2][3] Topping out was November 5, 2002.[3] Sources differ on the completion date, variously stating 2006, 2007, or 2008.[1][4][5] Originally planned as a four year construction job with a budget of $325 million, the project ended up taking six years and cost $421 million. The original contractor was suspected of having connections to organized crime and disqualified. There were problems with the underground parking garage, and the air conditioning system.[5][6] The New York City capital commitment plan for fiscal year 2015 also included $35.3 million for post-construction work to repair and fix items that were not properly installed during the initial construction.[7]

The building was originally designed to be 30 stories tall, including retail space. That design was discarded after the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed in 1995.[6] Other influences of the bombing include explosive-resistant glass, a bulletproof lobby, and locating the underground garage beneath the pedestrian plaza instead of the building itself.[8]

External links

  • iconArchitecture portal
  • flagNew York City portal
  • "A Look at the New Bronx Hall of Justice -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. January 31, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2023.

References

  1. ^ a b "Bronx Hall of Justice - Department of Citywide Administrative Services". www1.nyc.gov. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Williams, Timothy (April 22, 2007). "Opening a Courthouse, Overdue and Over Budget". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Bronx County Hall of Justice, New York City | 209033 | EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bronx County Hall of Justice - New York Courts". e-architect. January 15, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "New York Architecture Photos: Bronx County Hall of Justice". NewYorkitecture. May 12, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Williams, Timothy (April 22, 2007). "Opening a Courthouse, Overdue and Over Budget". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Wright, Eisha N. (March 27, 2015). Report on the Fiscal 2016 Preliminary Budget: Courts and Legal Aid Society / Indigent Defense Services (PDF). New York City Council Finance Division. p. 12.
  8. ^ "Lehman College Art Gallery: Architecture/Bronx County Hall of Justice". www.lehman.edu. Retrieved September 1, 2020.