I have had jury duty several times. You wait 20 minutes for an elevator and you are also close to people who have criminal charges, their state of mind is questionable. I totally disagree, I am not in favor of just spending tax dollars but we do need a new building.

The Administration Building is like 40 years old. Our population has not changed. There are far fewer cases tried because of tort reform than there used to be. So what is the need for a new building. Granted the existing building is ugly and uncomfortable- but so is most modernism. At least the people rose up to stop the demotion of the beautiful old court house. And nickles to donuts, Bariso lives out of County so doesn't have to worry about our increasing County taxes.

Btw, why does no one complain about County taxes?

Judge frustrated by lack of progress in replacing Hudson County Administration Building

By Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
September 09, 2014 at 9:51 PM

Hudson County Assignment Judge Peter Bariso let his impatience show as the Hudson County Freeholders discussed the purchase of a $9 million parcel of land on the block where the new county justice complex is to be built.

?I am confused why this county does not believe it can get the property; nothing is stopping the county from getting the property on that block,? Bariso said of the block to be acquired to replace what all agree is an outdated and inadequate Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Ave. in Jersey City.

?You have the absolute right to get that property ? You have the absolute right to condemn all the other properties. So I don?t understand why we are talking about how we are going to get that other property. There is nothing that inhibits you. There is nothing stopping you, except it costs money. You are a government body. You have the right to get that property.?

The county intends to acquire the area between Newark Avenue and Route 139 and between Oakland Avenue and Cook Street, a short walk from the current site.

At tonight?s caucus meeting there was an item on the agenda to approve an agreement to buy a large vacant lot between Oakland and Cook. Several needed properties have yet to be acquired.

Freeholder Bill O?Dea suggested that rather than have a bond ordinance to purchase the single $9 million lot, an ordinance should be drafted to allocate funds to buy all the additional properties needed at the location. That would involve having the remaining properties appraised and that would take time.

Bariso and his predecessor have been pressing the county for a new courthouse since 2000 and studies from as early as 1975 concluded the administration building should be replaced. One criticism is that there are no prisoner corridors and prisoners are walked to the courtrooms through the halls used by the public.

?I am responsible for the safety of every person in that building,? Bariso told the board. ?You see what is going on in the streets of your towns. Those people come to my building several times a year as prisoners. This cannot continue. I implore this board to begin to take action to start a courthouse. I don?t know what else I can say.?

Bariso also said that he believes the purchase of the $9 million lot would provide enough land to build the criminal courthouse even without purchase of the other lots at the location.

O?Dea said that ?If it is the case, maybe it is a two-bond process that could take place ? I don?t know how many times we have been told by yourself and others of the value and the importance of having it all located in a single complex as opposed to having a criminal court here, a civil court there??

Bariso agreed that the ?grand design? is to have the complex at the same location, but he noted that ?You don?t have a criminal courthouse. You have an administration building that is being used as a criminal cour house. You are subjecting 600 state employees and several sheriff officers. I brought in 610 jurors this week alone.?

The resolution is on the agenda for a vote at the freeholders? regular meeting on Thursday.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/09/post_613.html