GSA Delays Dirksen Water Fix as Judiciary Seeks Control of 10 Court Districts
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
GSA Delays Dirksen Water Fix as Judiciary Seeks Control of 10 Court Districts
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
Mid-July found the promised disinfection system at Chicago’s 62-year-old Dirksen courthouse still unfinished, even after the GSA agreed in mid-June to install it following months of rejected requests.
A 2024 expert report said Legionella had most likely colonized the building’s pipes, and Chief Judge Virginia Kendall said the agency acted only after an 83-year-old judge was hospitalized with meningitis and pneumonia.
Judges in Florida, Oklahoma and North Carolina described leaks, mold, failing HVAC systems and security repairs dragging on for more than two years, casting the Dirksen case as part of broader courthouse disrepair.
The judiciary is now asking Congress to let it control courthouses in 10 of the nation’s 94 judicial districts, arguing reliance on an executive-branch landlord undermines judicial independence.
GSA says it remains best qualified to manage the courts’ real estate, but the clash comes as judges note Congress funded $239 million for the agency’s headquarters while major courthouse repairs went unfunded.