Funds for new Utah courthouse approved

Published: Friday, July 10, 2009 1:48 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

Senate appropriators approved a $211 million request Thursday to build a new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, had asked for the funding.

"This project is a prime example of a shovel-ready project that will bring hundreds of jobs to Utah and give a much-needed boost to our economy," Bennett said. He added that it could bring an estimated 700 jobs to Utah for the next three years.

"The project has been in the works for several years and now we are a step closer to securing the funds needed to meet the vastly growing needs of our state's judiciary system," he said.

The earmark was included at Bennett's request in the annual Financial Services Appropriations bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed it Thursday and sent it to the full Senate. Bennett is the only Utah member of Congress who serves on an appropriations committee.

The new courthouse will be adjacent to the Frank E. Moss Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Tenants will include the district court, probation and pretrial services and the U.S. Marshal's Office.

When the new courthouse is built, the existing Moss Courthouse will be renovated and will house bankruptcy judges, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the U.S. Trustee's Office.

Story continues below

The General Services Administration has told Congress the project will provide $105 million in construction salaries over three years, providing an estimated 716 jobs for each of the three years of construction.

Bennett's office said the expansion project has been envisioned for 17 years. In 1992, the court submitted a formal written request to the GSA for an annex to the Moss Courthouse.

But by 1998, the district court's docket had increased so much that officials determined that a renovation and annex would not be enough to meet needs. Also, studies showed that renovation of the Moss Courthouse was unsuitable for a District Court because of security concerns and a space squeeze that would not allow adequate courtroom sizes.

So plans were revised to build an entirely new courthouse.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com

Recent comments

To Hey: The Matheson Courthouse is for the Utah state courts, and it...

Ace | July 12, 2009 at 7:03 p.m.

We appreciate your efforts, Sen. Bennett!

And, love your new...

Thank you! | July 10, 2009 at 8:39 p.m.

I thought the Matheson Court House was more than sufficient. I guess...

Hey | July 10, 2009 at 6:41 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

got beat on friday so they are out of the colorado playoffs so good job...

BYU 24, New Mexico 19

This was pathetic!! We deserve to drop from the rankings!

Frogs shut down MWC's top rusher

Who the heck cares whether the Utes exposed TCU's weaknesses? Your Utes were...

Win in New Mexico good for Y?

is the mantra we've all season long from Utah fans, until BYU wins a close...

Let's review the clause in the 1st Amendment that pertains to religion: ...

Same old story for Jazz

.........Eric Maynor? Why was he not in the Lottery. Who was it that...

Hey "Big J", you scored a big whopping 28 pts huh? That's nothing to be proud...

Letters: Sodom and Gomorrah

If LDS members feel confused by the church supporting SLC non discrimination...

As a Ute fan I have always had nothing but respect for McMahon, Young, and...

Bennett stood right there on TV with that first gang of 7 or whatever it was...

Advertisements
Advertisement