Report Says Most New Federal Courthouses Are Too Big
A new report asserts that most new federal courthouses are bigger than they need to be, with the excess space costing $835 million to construct and $51 million annually for rent and operating costs.
The report (PDF) by the Government Accountability Office says 33 new federal courthouses built since 2000 have 3.56 million square feet of extra space. Part of the problem, the report says, is that the judiciary overestimated the number of judges who would be using 23 out of 28 courthouses in planning that occurred at least 10 years ago. They also failed to take into account courtroom sharing.
The report was presented to a House subcommittee overseeing court construction, according to the Washington Post’s Federal Eye blog. GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Robert Peck disputed the findings, the story says. He said auditors incorrectly included space in the atriums of tall buildings and “phantom floors” in double height courtrooms.
