by Brianna Crandall — December 7, 2016 — The City of Buffalo, New York, took ownership of the vacant Michael J. Dillon Federal Courthouse from the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) last month at a cost of $1. The city plans to turn the historic landmark into a combined police and fire headquarters that also will house some of the city’s data operations. This action is part of GSA’s ongoing efforts to make more efficient use of federal real estate assets while saving taxpayer dollars and serving as an economic catalyst in communities throughout the country.
With both the police and fire departments working out of older buildings and at full capacity, a new public safety campus has been a city and mayoral priority. Mayor Byron Brown also says he is committed to preserve and re-purpose historic buildings, while stimulating additional development. Mayor Brown says the consolidation of the Buffalo Police and Buffalo Fire headquarters will increase efficiency and improve safety citywide, restore vitality to the downtown corridor, and continue his goal of reducing the footprint of city-owned buildings, making some available for private development.
The Michael J. Dillon Federal Courthouse in Buffalo will soon house both the Buffalo Police and Buffalo Fire headquarters. Photo courtesy of GSA.
The Dillon courthouse, a nine-story sandstone and steel structure constructed in 1936, has been vacant since the Robert H. Jackson Courthouse opened at Niagara Square in November 2011. Under Mayor Brown’s direction, the City submitted an application to the Department of Justice in April 2016 seeking to gain control of the courthouse for a “Law Enforcement Public Benefit Conveyance.” The Department of Justice reviewed the application and ruled in favor of the request.
Last year, the Brown administration hired a consultant to help develop a plan for the new public safety complex, and the former courthouse quickly emerged as the preferred location. Overall, the building is in good shape, requires little construction, and is centrally located in downtown Buffalo near a city-owned parking lot as well as a parking ramp, with easy accessibility to neighboring courthouses for officers to conduct administrative and court-related duties. Despite its age, recent updates to the elevators, roof, and energy system reportedly make it an energy-efficient building.
Shifting police and fire administrative offices, as well as arson investigation, to the former courthouse is aimed at making both operations more efficient. The two headquarters have been at their current locations since the 1930s.
The City of Buffalo Department of Public Works will next issue a Request for Proposals for renovations and upgrades to the courthouse to accommodate both police and fire. With city funds already earmarked for the first phase of upgrades, improvements will include creating property evidence and DNA storage as well as updating data, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the building.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2017, with a tentative completion date of September 1, 2017.
