Plans are advancing for the construction of a new court that is slated to be built on the south side of Santa Fe.
The project belongs to the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court and is being substantially funded by an $11 million capital outlay proposal approved by members of the New Mexico State Legislature, which just concluded its 30-day winter session.
The funding in Senate Bill 275 will go directly to the Administrative Office of the Courts and is part of a total of $43 million in capital outlay funding approved by lawmakers for a variety of projects in Santa Fe County.
Officials say the current facility, located at 2056 Galisteo Street, which houses four separate courtrooms, has long been regarded as too small for current needs, and also has suffered from such infrastructure issues as a leaking roof and mold.
The one-story structure, which was built in 1995, measures around 14,500 square feet.
Last year the Santa Fe Reporter noted that for “lawyers and judges who frequent the court, the small lobby, short hallways, and a shortage of meeting rooms mean not only a crowded space at peak hours, but also a security risk.”
The project, which earlier secured the approval of the Capital Buildings Planning Commission, has been long in the talking stage.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is by law given a 20-day window to approve or veto individual capital outlay projects. But in a press release, the Governor has indicated that she is going to closely evaluate public safety legislation approved by lawmakers, “before deciding whether to call lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session.”
By Garry Boulard
