Huntsville will soon boast a new federal courthouse, which will be home to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and the Bankruptcy Court of Northern Alabama. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it has awarded a $79.8 million construction contract to Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC.
In addition to providing workspace for numerous other federal agencies, the new federal courthouse will also host certain operations for the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
JUST IN: GSA selects a Birmingham-based firm to build a new federal courthouse in Huntsville, Alabama. More at https://t.co/MOxDXkWMz2. pic.twitter.com/PRkI1bz4kB
— GSA SoutheastSunbelt (@US_GSAR4) August 11, 2021
The GSA says construction on the 123,000-square-foot federal courthouse is scheduled to begin early next year and is estimated to be completed in a 30-month timeframe.
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) applauded the GSA’s selection of an Alabama-based company to lead the project.
“This contract award is a significant step in our work to bring a long-awaited, new federal courthouse to Huntsville—which has been a priority of mine for over a decade,” said Shelby. “I am proud that GSA has chosen a local Alabama company to head up the construction. In 2018, I worked to secure $110 million in funding through appropriations legislation for this very project. I am confident it will have a lasting impact in North Alabama, and I look forward to its completion.”
Acting regional administrator for GSA’s Sunbelt Region Kevin Kerns thanked the City of Huntsville for partnering with the agency to ensure the project’s goals are met.
“Our goal with this project is to provide a safe and secure work environment that meets the 21st century needs of the federal judiciary,” said Kerns. “Throughout this process, we’ve collaborated closely with the City of Huntsville, and we’re extremely thankful for that partnership.”
In keeping with the traditional, Western-based architectural style of government buildings across the state, the courthouse will be built in a neoclassical design, which will display a large pedimented entry portico flanked by gently arcing symmetrical wings. The state-of-the-art project will incorporate contemporary sustainability features all while maintaining classical organizational, proportional, and design elements.
Once completed, the three-story courthouse will include five courtrooms and six judges’ chambers. The new courthouse will sit on a five-acre property at the intersection of Lowe Avenue and Gallatin Street in downtown Huntsville. The GSA says Steve White of Fentress Architects in Washington, D.C. is the project’s lead designer. Payne Design Group Architects of Montgomery provided bridging architectural services.
Additionally, the City of Anniston will also soon be home to a new federal courthouse. According to the GSA, work on the 63,000-square-foot facility in the urban East Alabama city will be complete by early 2022.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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