Listen To The Rockville Central Radio Replay!

In case you missed listening live, you can still listen to today's episode of Rockville Central Radio.

Today's show featured Frank Anastasi, on the Move The Court House steering committee, discussing his group's new report detailing a number of questions about how the State of Maryland handled the new District Court House that is planned for the old Rockville Library site. The report is based on documents it obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request.

Frank gave a detailed rundown of what the group found in its investigation and talked about the conclusions the report draws.

From the Move The Court House press release announcing the report:

While MTC has always agreed that a new courthouse is needed in Rockville, it says now that the project as planned is a waste of taxpayers’ money. “We always asked, why can’t we build a better courthouse, at a better location, where adequate parking could be included? Until now, we didn’t realize that we could save money in the process,” said Bridget Newton, an MTC member, and Chair of Rockville’s Town Center Action Team for many years. MTC says that DGS data show the 171,200 square-foot Rockville courthouse as planned would cost $475 per square foot, fifty-four percent more per square foot than it cost to build the new Silver Spring Courthouse. That building was completed a few years ago for $27 million (about $309 per square foot).

MTC suggested to the Board, “... in this time of billion dollar budget deficits, the State can do better than spending more than $81 million on this ill-conceived, extravagant, monument to wasteful government spending.” It asked the Board to deny approval of the contract to demolish the old Rockville Library, which it says could save around $3 million. Another $7 million would come back to the State because Montgomery County would by the site back if the courthouse is not built there. The City of Rockville had offered to buy the site previously.

MTC believes that “tens of millions of dollars more could be saved by building a courthouse with a functional design and adequate facilities, at one of several nearby, available, and more-suitable sites.” The former Giant grocery site, and 255 Rockville Pike, located just outside the Circuit Court’s eastern doors, were two sites mentioned.

Rockville Central Radio will be back next week on Friday, October 10. Just go here to listen.