The federal government has given final approval of an alternative plan to construct a new federal court in Hartford on Allyn Street.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will acquire 2.19 acres at 154 Allyn Street to house the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. The site, which includes ten tax parcels owned by one entity, is currently a parking lot.
The new courthouse will replace the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse, which was built in 1963 and is not large enough to accommodate the court’s current functions and operations. In addition to housing the District Court, there are a number of other federal agencies with offices in the building, including the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The GSA initially identified three potential sites to build the new courthouse, including one on Woodland Street, which houses a state office building and parking lot, but announced in May, after an environmental review, that the Allyn site was its preferred site and announced its final decision in June.
GSA’s study of the potential sites found the most benefits to the Allyn site, including that converting the site to a courthouse “would align with Hartford’s existing zoning designations and future land use goals” and “reduce the excessive amount of parking currently available” in the city. It did find conversion of the land from taxable to a tax-exempt federal site would cost the city approximately $207,000 annually in taxes.
The GSA found that the central location of the Allyn site would provide greater access and connectivity due to its proximity to public transit and could help reduce traffic congestion as a result. The agency also anticipates the new courthouse will boost economic activity in downtown Hartford “due to proximity to numerous amenities located in the area,” including “cultural and entertainment venues, dining and lodging services, and law firms and related operations” in the city’s central business district.
The new courthouse will contain eleven courtrooms, eighteen judges’ chambers, and offices for court-related agencies. It will be built over two layers of underground parking and is anticipated to serve the court’s needs for 30 years.
The GSA awarded a $32.2 million contract to Los Angeles-based Michael Malzan Architecture, who will work with Glastonbury-based SLAM Collaborative, in April 2024.
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