Congress Approves Plan to Repair Federal Courthouse Plagued With Mold and Moisture
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Representative Trent Kelly, R-Miss., today announced that Congress has approved a $24.3 million plan by the General Services Administration (GSA) to renovate the Thomas G. Abernethy Courthouse in Aberdeen, Miss. The building was deemed uninhabitable in 2017 because of mold and moisture infiltration.
“This is an outstanding outcome for the federal courthouse in Aberdeen,” Wicker said. “This long overdue project will allow the GSA to complete decades of deferred maintenance, ensuring the health and safety of the public and federal workers for years to come. I am glad to have partnered with members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, Judge Sharion Aycock, and community leaders to get this project the attention it deserved.”
“The repair to the Aberdeen courthouse means it can become a fully functional federal facility to serve North Mississippi, particularly for the federal judiciary system. I’m pleased with the GSA plan to reprogram existing dollars to undertake this extensive project,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I credit Chief Judge Sharion Aycock and her team for their determination to get this project done and resume public services from the courthouse.”
“This project will ensure a safer environment for our community and hardworking court officials,” Kelly said.
The GSA, which maintains the building, will support the project using excess funds from other repair and construction projects. Congressional committees with authorization and appropriations jurisdiction over the GSA approved the agency’s plan to reprogram existing funding to repair the facility. A GSA project prospectus indicates a design and construction schedule beginning in 2021 with work completed in 2024.
The project will include:
- HVAC replacement;
- Building envelope repair;
- Electrical, fire protection, and life safety upgrades;
- Associated demolition; and,
- Hazardous materials (mold, lead-based paint) abatement.
The Thomas G. Abernethy Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a 64,000-square-foot, three-story building built in 1973 in downtown Aberdeen, Miss. Before being abandoned in February 2018, the building housed the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the GSA.
Press Release
12/9/2020
Magnolia Tribune
