U.S. General Services Administration
U.S. General Services Administration to host a public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the new Federal Courthouse in Hartford, Conn.
HARTFORD, Conn. – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts from the proposed acquisition of a site in Hartford, Connecticut, and the subsequent design, construction, and operation of a new federal courthouse.
The public is invited to attend and participate in a public hearing on the Draft EIS.
DETAILS:
DATE: November 13, 2024
TIME: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Lyceum Center, Conference Center 1
227 Lawrence Street
Hartford, CT 06106
There will be a presentation that provides an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act process, the proposed project, and the findings of the Draft EIS. Following the presentation, there will be a moderated session during which members of the public will be able to provide comments verbally or in writing. An American Sign language interpreter and a Spanish language interpreter will be available.
The Draft EIS can be viewed or downloaded from GSA’s project website: www.gsa.gov/hartfordcourthouse. Hard copies are available for review at the Hartford Public Library, Albany Branch located at 1250 Albany Ave, Hartford, CT 06112, and Park Street Branch located at 603 Park St, Hartford CT 06106.
Written comments must be submitted or postmarked by December 16, 2024, using one of the following methods:
● In-Person: Submit written comments at the public hearing via comment forms. There will be a stenographer to capture the comments voiced during the hearing.
● Email: Send an email to HartfordCourthouse@gsa.gov and reference “Hartford Courthouse EIS” in the subject line.
● Mail: Send written comments to the following address:
General Services Administration
Attention: Robert Herman, Project Manager
Abraham A. Ribicoff U.S. Courthouse
450 Main Street, Suite 435
Hartford, CT 06103
● Drop Box: Place written comments in the drop box at the main entrance of the Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse:
Abraham A. Ribicoff U.S. Courthouse
450 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
Project information, including public hearing materials, transcript, and audio/video recording will be available at GSA’s project website: http://gsa.gov/hartfordcourthouse.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The existing courthouse, the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse, was constructed in 1963 and does not have the space, functionality, security, and building systems to meet the current and projected needs of the Court.
The new Courthouse would be up to 281,000 gross square feet, and include eleven (11) courtrooms, eighteen (18) Judges chambers and offices for court-related agencies along with 66 secured parking spaces. The proposed project would meet the present and long-term requirements of the Court.
GSA identified two “action” alternatives that met the stated purpose and need of the proposed project and have been analyzed in detail in the Draft EIS. Each “action” alternative would involve the site acquisition, design, construction, and operation of a new courthouse in Hartford. GSA analyzed two locations for the project, each corresponding to an “action” alternative (listed west to east):
● Woodland Site - a state office building with an ancillary building and a parking lot consisting of 10.19 acres at 61 Woodland St.
● Allyn Site - a surface parking lot consisting of 2.19 acres at 154 Allyn St. GSA analyzed a “no action” alternative where the Court would continue to operate under current conditions.
Media Contact: Paul Hughes, 617-283-6142, paul.hughes@gsa.gov
About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing over $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.