by Brianna Crandall — September 22, 2010—Residents of El Paso, Texas, recently dedicated their new U.S. Western District Federal Courthouse, made possible in part by Recovery Act investments by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
Named after late El Paso judge and civil rights leader Albert Armendariz, Sr., the new facility is one of many GSA projects across the country driving traditional and green construction industries through energy-saving green building features, and spurring manufacturing and development of green technologies.
The federal courthouse offers the community a new 239,600-square-foot federal facility along a 3.5-acre site located in El Paso’s central business district. The new courthouse will house 11 courtrooms and will serve 13 judges, five resident district judges, two senior judges, five magistrate judges and one court of appeals, consolidating El Paso’s court services into one place.
The building, certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council, incorporates computerized HVAC, lighting and utility metering to conserve energy, window glazing, and energy-efficient Energy Star products, as well as interior elements made from recycled materials, such as carpet, wall coverings, cork flooring, ceiling tiles and more.
For more information about GSA’s courthouse programs, visit the agency’s Web site.
