The federal Judiciary today called upon the General Services Administration (GSA), Congress, and others involved with federal construction to join the Judiciary in a review of federal courthouse construction practices.
"Tight funding, increased rental costs, and a branch-wide emphasis on economizing have led us to assume a leadership role in this important undertaking," said L. Ralph Mecham, Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
"The GSA plays the crucial role of overseeing the construction and rental of all federal buildings and its involvement in this undertaking is essential," said Director Mecham. "We also will solicit the views of Congress, which oversees the federal construction program and supplies the necessary funding for all courthouse construction projects."
As part of the review process, the Judiciary will contact every architect and engineer who has used the U.S. Courts Design Guide in building a courthouse. They will be asked to comment on portions of the Guide that work well, designs that have resulted in particularly efficient space utilization, and areas where further cost savings may be achieved.
The Guide, which has been in place for the past four years, periodically has been reviewed and amended by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policy-making body for the federal courts. Last month the Conference approved a series of changes to the Guide in order to make courthouses more accessible to those with disabilities. The Guide was developed over a three-year period in a cooperative effort between the Judiciary, the GSA, and a team of experts in space planning, security, acoustics, mechanical-electrical systems, and automation, under the direction of the National Institute of Building Sciences and the Judiciary.
The review panel also will look at the method in which the GSA develops the rent for courthouses to assure that it reflects actual construction costs and market rates. Judiciary rental payments to the GSA currently exceed $500 million per year, representing about 20 percent of the Judiciary's budget. The review will look at whether these rates accurately reflect the economies that have been incorporated in courthouse construction and renovation in recent years.
In addition, the review will study space size to ensure that court units have the right amount of space needed to do their jobs, while also achieving any possible economies. The analysis will incorporate any necessary security enhancements to address the types of threats that some courts have encountered and that became a reality in the Oklahoma City bombing.
The federal Judiciary, through the Judicial Conference and its Committee on Security, Space and Facilities, has been on the forefront of a wide-spread economizing effort within the Judicial Branch. In 1993, the Conference approved amendments to the Design Guide that have saved $1.5 million in the average courthouse. The Judiciary also is believed to be the first government entity to develop a comprehensive long-range space plan. At its September 1995 meeting, the Judicial Conference approved a five-year courthouse construction plan. Two years ago, the Conference established an Economy Subcommittee, which is charged with exploring ways to economize while continuing to provide a consistently high quality of justice.
"I am confident we can apply the many lessons and best practices learned from various building projects without delaying ongoing construction," Director Mecham said. "I believe this is a good opportunity for all those who have a hand in the courthouse construction process to join together so we can meet the courts' building needs in the most efficient and effective manner."
The Judiciary-led courthouse review process is expected to be completed within the next six months.
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