Officials have decided to build another structure in Elizabeth to house the family division of state Superior Court, which currently occupies part of the Union County Courthouse tower.ELIZABETH — It's the tallest building in Union County, rich with history and even supposedly haunted by the spirit of Hannah Caldwell.
But the Union County Courthouse tower, which is tall enough on its top floors to offer views of Manhattan, is old and so crowded there’s barely room for a ghost. Besides that, the Elizabeth building isn’t even close to complying with modern fire codes.
Any hope of modernizing the building, officials say, would entail one of two scenarios: construction outside of the tower or a buildout from within. But Union County and court officials have decided instead to build another structure in Elizabeth to house the family division of state Superior Court, which currently occupies part of the tower.
Preparations for the $36 million project are scheduled to begin next month, officials confirmed last week. The new building, expected to be about 78,000 square feet, will provide six courtrooms and office space for Union County and the Union County Improvement Authority, the agency spearheading the work. It will also include a 151-space parking garage at its site on the northwest corner of Cherry Street and Rahway Avenue — about a block from the existing courthouse and courthouse annex.
Renderings of the building show a modern, aesthetically pleasing facility. But the goal is to create an affordable building, said Charlotte DeFilippo, the improvement authority’s executive director. The structure will be built to environmental efficiency standards.
"We’re trying to build, for lack of a better definition, a sturdy facility that will require a low level of maintenance," DeFilippo said last week. "Nobody is looking for anything other than an efficient, economic facility."
Officials have decided to build another structure in Elizabeth to house the family division of state Superior Court, which currently occupies part of the Union County Courthouse tower.The cost of the project will be bonded by the improvement authority, which owns the land. The county government plans to back the bonds, allowing for a lower interest rate, and will take possession of the property once the bonds are paid, DeFilippo said.
The court will occupy about 70 percent of the building, around 55,000 square feet. Union County will use about 19,000 square feet. The remainder goes to the improvement authority, which will have a reception area, three small offices and a conference room, DeFilippo said.
The move will be significant for the cramped family court. Judges will be given secured parking spaces, and their staffs will have plenty of office space.
Demolition of existing buildings and site preparation are expected to begin next month. Construction isn’t planned until summer 2013, allowing plenty of time in case soil remediation is necessary. The building is expected to open in early 2014.
Alexander Mirabella, chairman of the county freeholder board, said the new building is important for practical reasons. But he said it will also give a boost to Elizabeth’s business and government district.
"It will serve as a gateway to the downtown area of Elizabeth," he said.
And whether Caldwell, whose 1780 death during the Revolutionary War rallied area farmers to the fight, will move to the new building remains unknown. But if she does, one thing’s for sure. There will be room for her.
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