U.S. General Services Administration
Downtown San Antonio Boasts a New Federal Courthouse
The southwestern part of downtown San Antonio has changed a lot in recent years. And one of the newest additions is the new Federal Courthouse at 214 W. Nueva Street next to San Pedro Creek. The limestone clad building with glass panels and expanded metal beams is an attractive addition to the area, bringing with it the majesty of the federal judiciary, while also blending with the local aesthetics of San Antonio’s beautiful city.
The U.S. Courts and many of their supporting agencies will be moving into the new courthouse before year’s end with trials beginning early in 2022. They will be relocating from the historic courthouse located on East Cesar Chavez Boulevard that was used as a theater during the 1968 World Hemisphere. In the 1970’s, the building became the federal courthouse where its unique circular shape stood as a monument of the historic event that was one of the last world’s fairs in North America.
The newly constructed federal courthouse sits on 6.3 acres at the southeast corner of West Nueva and South Santa Rosa avenues. It stands three stories and includes a 235,000 square foot building with eight courtrooms and 13 chambers. The facility includes space needed for the consolidation of court functions as well as upgraded design and security requirements to support the agencies for years to come. It will also be more energy efficient due to the modern mechanical and electrical systems and is slated to achieve a LEED gold certification.
“The upcoming completion of the new federal courthouse in San Antonio represents the strong partnership between the General Services Administration, U.S. courts, members of Congress, San Antonio officials and the local community,” said GSA Acting Regional Administrator Giancarlo Brizzi. “By working together, the new state-of-the-art facility became a reality and will support the judiciary for generations to come.”
“We’ve been slightly ahead of schedule and slightly under budget,” said U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who led the judiciary’s efforts to get a new courthouse.
GSA received $144 million in congressional funding in 2016 for the new courthouse. The facility will house offices for the U.S. Marshals, U.S. Public Defender, Federal Probation and Pretrial Services, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. General Services Administration.
For additional information, visit the San Antonio Courthouse project page.