BC-ME–Courthouse Site, Bjt,330

Downtown site picked for new courthouse

BANGOR (AP)- A downtown parcel near the spot where Kenduskeag Stream meets the Penobscot River has been chosen by consultants as the best site for a new building housing district and superior courts.

The city-owned property was one of nine sites in Bangor and Brewer that were under consideration for the project.

Among them was the courts’ current location, also in downtown Bangor, which got high marks from consultants of Ricci Greene Associates of New York. But they cited the higher cost of having to erect a “small tower” up to eight stories high because of the need to “shoehorn” a new building between existing structures at the site.

Chief Justice Leigh Saufley will have the final say on where the courthouse will be built. Planning and construction is expected to take three years and the cost has yet to be determined.

State court officials have been exploring options for expanding the 3rd District Court and Penobscot County Superior Court facilities, which State Court Administrator James “Ted” Glessner said no longer meet the state’s needs in terms of space and function.

The current facilities provide about 72,000 square feet of space and six courtrooms. After analyzing space needs, the consultants determined that at least 100,000 square feet and eight courtrooms are needed to meet the state’s needs now and for at least the next decade.

Ideally, Glessner said, the state would like to consolidate the two court operations into a single facility so that the state could realize efficiencies in areas such as security, technology and staffing.

Glessner also said the state was seeking a site that was prominent, could accommodate expansion, had access to parking and was handy to downtown Bangor, among other things.

The judiciary hopes to obtain authorization and funding from the Legislature during the current session, expected to wind down in May or June.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com

AP-ES-04-16-05 1331EDT