Funding for new courthouse clears last hurdle

Funding for a new federal courthouse in San Antonio cleared a final congressional hurdle Wednesday.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a project prospectus for the new courthouse, according to announcements by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and others in Bexar County’s congressional delegation. They worked with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, city leaders, judges, and officials with the General Services Administration late last year to push for appropriations for the building.

“We’re one step closer to the finish line,” Smith said in a news release. “We now have the funds and the approval to begin work on a safe and modernized courthouse that will serve San Antonio and the Western District of Texas for many years to come.”

In a news release, Cuellar said the plans call for $132.6 million to complete design and construct the 305,000-square-foot courthouse, which will include eight courtrooms and accomodate 13 judges. It will be built at the site of the former San Antonio Police Department headquarters at 214 W. Nueva St.

“The (current) courthouse has kept the Western District (of Texas) going for nearly 50 years, but it unfortunately does not have the capacity to support it any longer,” Cuellar said.

U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who leads the judges’ efforts on the new courthouse, said a contract is to be signed by June 1 with the architect, Lake | Flato, and in a few months, the GSA will begin taking bids for construction. Groundbreaking is slated for early 2017, with a possible move-in around late 2020 or early 2021, Rodriguez said.