[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87371-87372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25086]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-PBS-2024-16; Docket No. 2024-0002; Sequence No. 50]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for a New Federal Courthouse in Hartford, Connecticut

AGENCY: New England Region, Public Buildings Service (PBS), U.S. 
General Services Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of availability, announcement of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), GSA has prepared a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts from the 
proposed acquisition of a site in Hartford, CT, and the subsequent 
design, construction, and operation of a new Federal courthouse. The 
new courthouse would be owned and managed by GSA and occupied by the 
U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and related 
agencies. This notice announces the opportunity for public review and 
comment on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS describes the purpose and need 
for the proposed project, the alternatives considered, the existing 
environment that could be affected, the potential impacts resulting 
from each of the alternatives, and proposed best management practices 
and mitigation measures.

DATES: Interested parties are encouraged to participate in the public 
hearing and provide comments on the Draft EIS. The public comment 
period begins with the publication of this Notice of Availability (NOA) 
in the Federal Register and will end on Monday, December 16, 2024. 
Comments must be postmarked or received by the last day of the public 
comment period (see ADDRESSES section of this NOA for how to submit 
comments).
    Hearing Date--The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, 
November 13, 2024, at the Lyceum Center, Conference Center 1, 227 
Lawrence Street, Hartford, CT 06106, and will take place from 6 p.m. to 
8 p.m., eastern

[[Page 87372]]

time. The public hearing will begin with a presentation that provides 
an overview of the NEPA process, the proposed project, and the findings 
of the Draft EIS. Following the presentation, there will be a moderated 
session during which members of the public will be able to provide 
comments verbally or in writing. An American Sign language interpreter 
and a Spanish language interpreter will be available. After the 
meeting, all presentation materials will be posted to GSA's project 
website.

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS can be viewed or downloaded from the GSA 
project website at www.gsa.gov/hartfordcourthouse.
    Hard copies are available for viewing at the following locations:

<bullet> Hartford Public Library, Albany Branch located at 1250 Albany 
Ave., Hartford, CT 06112
<bullet> Hartford Public Library, Park Street Branch located at 603 
Park St., Hartford CT 06106
<bullet> Hartford City Hall located at 550 Main Street, Room 001, 
Hartford, CT 06103

    Comments must be submitted to GSA by Monday, December 16, 2024, 
using one of the following methods:
    <bullet> In-Person: Submit written comments at the public hearing 
via comment forms. There will be a stenographer to capture verbal 
comments at the hearing.
    <bullet> Email: Send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4c042d3e382a233e280f23393e382423393f290c2b3f2d622b233a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="226a435056444d5046614d5750564a4d575147624551430c454d54">[email protected]</span></a> and 
reference ``Hartford Courthouse EIS'' in the subject line.
    <bullet> Mail: Written comments must be postmarked by Monday, 
December 16, 2024. Address all physical mail to: General Services 
Administration, Attention: Robert Herman, Project Manager, Abraham A. 
Ribicoff Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 450 Main Street, Suite 
435, Hartford, CT 06103.
    <bullet> Drop Box: Place written comments in the drop box at the 
main entrance of the Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse, which is 
located at 450 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103.
    Comments received or postmarked after the end of the comment period 
may not be considered by GSA. All comments received are part of the 
public record. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, 
address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise 
sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be 
publicly accessible. GSA will accept anonymous comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Herman, Project Manager, 
General Services Administration at 413-244-9167 or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9dd5fcefe9fbf2eff9def2e8efe9f5f2e8eef8ddfaeefcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2a624b585e4c45584e69455f585e42455f594f6a4d594b044d455c">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut (the Court) 
currently operates at three facilities: the Richard C. Lee U.S. 
Courthouse in New Haven (its headquarters location), the Brien McMahon 
Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Bridgeport, and the Abraham A. 
Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse in Hartford (Ribicoff Federal 
Building and Courthouse).
    The Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse, constructed in 1963, 
does not have the capacity to accommodate the Court's functions and 
operations. The facility is inadequate in size and configuration for 
the Court's operations, including deficiencies in judicial, juror, and 
detainee circulation and overall facility security. The Court's long-
term facilities planning and GSA's feasibility studies concluded that 
relocating the Court's headquarters to Hartford would provide 
efficiencies in judicial operations across the State. The results from 
these studies led to GSA's proposal to locate the Court and related 
agencies at a new courthouse in Hartford.

Alternatives Under Consideration

    GSA identified two ``action'' alternatives that met the stated 
purpose and need of the proposed project and have been analyzed in 
detail in the Draft EIS. The two ``action'' alternatives correspond to 
two sites in Hartford for the location of the new courthouse. Each 
``action'' alternative would involve the site acquisition, design, 
construction, and operation of a new courthouse in Hartford.
    The new courthouse building would be up to 281,000 gross square 
feet and contain 11 courtrooms, 18 judges chambers, offices for the 
Court and related agencies, and 66 secure, indoor parking spaces. The 
new courthouse would incorporate a sustainable, climate-resilient, and 
operationally efficient design to meet or exceed the energy and 
sustainability goals established by Federal guidelines and policies, 
along with industry standards, building codes, and best practices. The 
project would meet the present and long-term requirements of the Court. 
GSA analyzed two locations for the project, each corresponding to an 
``action'' alternative (listed west to east):
    <bullet> Alternative 1 (Woodland Site)--located at 61 Woodland 
Street and is 10.19 acres. The Woodland Site is in Hartford's Asylum 
Hill neighborhood, a block south of Saint Francis Hospital, and 
includes a portion of the North Branch Park River along its western 
boundary. It is bounded by Asylum Ave. to the north, the North Branch 
Park River to the west, healthcare-related buildings along its southern 
perimeter, and Woodland St. to the east. It is currently utilized as a 
State of Connecticut office building and has an ancillary building and 
a surface parking lot. Under Alternative 1, the existing buildings at 
the Woodland Site may be demolished or reused as part of the 
construction of the new courthouse. Construction would be limited to 
areas outside the floodplains. Approximately 2 acres of the site would 
be excavated and graded in preparation for construction. The new 
courthouse may contain up to two levels of underground secure parking 
only, surface-level secure parking only, or a combination of the two. A 
new landscape plan would be developed for the site with native 
plantings.
    <bullet> Alternative 2 (Allyn Site)--located at 154 Allyn Street 
and is 2.19 acres. The property lies downtown, one block north of 
Bushnell Park, one block east of Union Station, and one block west of 
the XL Center. It is bounded by Church St. to the north, High St. to 
the west, Allyn St. to the south, and mixed-use buildings along its 
eastern perimeter. It is currently utilized as a surface parking lot. 
Under Alternative 2, a new courthouse would be constructed on the Allyn 
Site. Approximately 2 acres of the site would be excavated and graded 
in preparation for construction. The new courthouse would contain up to 
two levels of underground secure parking. A landscape plan would be 
developed for the site with native plantings.
    GSA analyzed a ``no action'' alternative, which evaluated the 
effects if site acquisition and the subsequent design, construction, 
and operation of a new courthouse would not occur (i.e., the status 
quo). This alternative would not meet the purpose and need of the 
proposed project because the Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse 
does not have the capacity to accommodate the Court's functional, 
operational, and space requirements. Under the ``no action'' 
alternative, the Court would continue to operate across the State at 
its current facilities in Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport. The 
Court would not relocate its headquarters to Hartford.
    Further information about the project can be viewed at: http://gsa.gov/hartfordcourthouse.

Jesse Lafreniere,
Director, Design and Construction Division, U.S. General Services 
Administration, PBS New England Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-25086 Filed 10-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-RB-P


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