New Union County Courthouse Opens

ELIZABETH, NJ — The new Union County Courthouse Cherry Street Annex opened at 2 Cherry St. in Elizabeth on Tuesday. A ribbon cutting was held by county officials, judges and legal professionals.

The new facility serves as an extension of the current courthouse. It will provide 78,071 square feet of new space.

The building was designed in accordance with NJ Courthouse Facility Guidelines and is equipped with the latest in technology and security.

The Courthouse includes four interconnected spatial and circulation systems, including:

• Six state-of-the-art courtrooms and support facilities
• Judges’ chambers and support staff offices
• Prisoner intake, holding and attorney/client conference spaces
• Sheriff’s department security control facilities

The public enters the courthouse through an elevated courtyard and secured lobby, providing direct access to court-related administrative functions and stair/elevators connections to courtroom waiting areas on the floors above.

Other public spaces include a cafeteria, children’s waiting room, attorney lounge, conference, hearing and mediation rooms and several waiting areas.

The building is fully accessible to the handicapped and provides surface parking including a separate and secured parking lot for judges. The project was also designed to receive USGBC LEED Certification.

Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-Union, Somerset and Middlesex), who serves as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated: “I am pleased to celebrate the official opening of the new courthouse that will serve Union County families. The expansion of our court facilities was critical to ensuring that our judiciary is able to meet the needs of residents, who expect that our courthouses are equipped to operate in an effective and efficient manner. I’m confident this 21st century courthouse will adequately serve our region well into the future.”

(Photo provided: From left - Freeholder Al Mirabella, State Senator Nick Scutari, Union County Improvement Authority (UCIA) Chairman Anthony Scutari, UCIA Board member Ron Borstad, Freeholder Chris Hudak, Freeholder Vice Chairman Sergio Granados, Acting Administrative Director of the New Jersey Judiciar Glenn Grant, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, Union County Assignment judge Karen Cassidy, Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen, Freeholders Linda Carter, Vernell Wright, Angel Estrada, and UCIA member Steve Hockaday.)

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