By Steve Thorpe
Legal News
Heralding it as a day long in the making, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen announced on last Thursday that the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in Detroit is set to undergo a $130 million renovation in three phases.
“This month is the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Theodore Levin Courthouse,” Rosen said at a press conference in the historic structure. “It has stood as a citadel of justice in the epicenter of many important cases.”
The courthouse, which opened in 1934, is slated for upgrades to infrastructure including its elevators, heating and cooling plant, fire safety and plumbing. Studies by the General Services Administration have determined that the building is inefficient and has become difficult to maintain.
The first phase of renovation will be $31 million; phase two will be $40.5 million; and phase three will be $60 million.
“When this project is complete, this marvelous court will be ready to serve for the next 80 years,” said Rosen.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other elected officials participated in last Thursday’s press conference unveiling the plans.
“All too often we’ve walked away from our historic landmarks,” said Duggan. “To be a great city you need to preserve them. I’m so pleased that that is happening here.”
According to President Barack Obama’s 2015 budget request released last Tuesday, the project will include three phases with $40.5 million budgeted for the second phase of work. Congress has approved more than $1 billion for repairs to federal buildings as part of its appropriations bill.
“This project brings exciting opportunities for Detroit,” said General Services Administration Regional Administrator Ann Kalayil. “By investing in this building, GSA will bring savings to the taxpayers.”
Authorization for the current building occurred under President Herbert Hoover. The structure includes bas-relief sculptural groupings executed by Detroit sculptor Corrado Parducci, who designed the panels and medallions to depict agencies and activities of the federal government.
On November 2, 1994, the U.S. Congress approved an act to designate the courthouse as the “Theodore Levin United States Courthouse.” A ceremony was held in the spring of 1995 to officially announce the designation and to present new building signs on the Lafayette Boulevard and Fort Street elevations.
The chief judge’s courtroom on the seventh floor is often referred to as the “million dollar courtroom” and contains more than 30 types of marble. At the request of Chief Judge Arthur Tuttle, the courtroom from the previous building was disassembled and stored, then reassembled in the new building. The bench is carved from East Indian mahogany, and is flanked by two 12-foot columns of Italian marble, each topped by four lions holding up a globe.
Officials plan to complete the bidding for the renovation project by fall 2014.
“This project will help the court be a part of the rebirth of Detroit,” said Rosen.
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