Bronx County Hall of Justice
Building in New York City, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| Bronx County Hall of Justice | |
|---|---|
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 Interactive map of the Bronx County Hall of Justice area | |
General information | |
| Location | 40°49′34.2″N 73°55′9.3″W, 265 East 161st Street, Bronx, New York City, United States |
Construction started | 2001 |
Completed | 2008 |
| Cost | $421 million |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rafael Viñoly |
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][2] Court officers complained that the courthouse was sinking, and it was temporarily shut down in 2009 as several windows cracked or broke due to the building settling.[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 nevertheless remains prone to window breaks, floor collapses, and flooding that closes the six basement courtrooms.[8]
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.[2] 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.[9]
External links
- "A Look at the New Bronx Hall of Justice -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York Magazine. January 31, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2023.