Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. was joined by NJ Supreme Court Justice Stuart Rabner on Monday, December 7th to announce the construction of office space for the judges’ chambers of the NJ Appellate Division in the Essex County LeRoy F. Smith, Jr. Public Safety Building has been completed. The NJ Appellate Division will be the first tenants in the 140,000-square-foot structure, which is being converted from a former jail facility into an office building.
"We are pleased to partner with Governor Jon Corzine and NJ Chief Justice Stuart Rabner on this project and welcome the NJ Appellate Division back to Newark for the first time in a quarter of a century. Having the Appellate Courts in our complex is a prestigious honor," DiVincenzo noted. "Renovating this building from a jail to much needed office space represents another milestone in the transformation of our Essex County Government Complex. Redeveloping the building eliminates an eyesore in the neighborhood, puts the building to good use and creates savings and recurring revenue for the County," he noted.
"It’s great to see so many people who truly care. I am totally overwhelmed with my experience here," LeRoy Smith said.
"Joe, I commend you for coming up with these many great ideas that have transformed this place from a negative into a positive," Congressman Donald Payne said. The plaza in front of the LeRoy Smith Building was dedicated in Congressman Payne’s honor in April.
"I want to thank County Executive DiVincenzo and all those who worked so hard to create new accommodations for the Appellate Division," Chief Justice Rabner said. "The return of the Appellate Division to Newark is important for litigants and lawyers alike, and we are delighted to be able to work out of the revitalized Essex County court complex," he added.
Chambers for the Appellate judges are on floors 8-11 in the building and the judges will use a newly-modified courtroom on the 11th floor of the Essex County Veterans Courthouse when court is in session. Appellate Division offices from Passaic and Union Counties are scheduled to relocate to the Essex County LeRoy Smith Building by February 2010. The last time the Appellate Division was located in Essex County was in 1984. Essex County will receive $521,268 in annual rental payments from the courts to utilize the space.
Construction began a year ago in December 2008. To accommodate the offices, the narrow, barred jail windows were removed and replaced with larger windows to allow more natural light inside. Exterior walls at the middle of the building where visitors will enter and exit elevators were replaced with glass to provide spectacular views of Downtown Newark to the east and the new Essex County Veterans Memorial Park to the west. The floors were sectioned off for office space; the roof was repaired; asbestos abatement was completed; heating, air conditioning and electrical systems were replaced; and the outside of the building was power washed and cleaned.
"This project is an example of a government putting an unused structure to good use so that the surrounding community did not have to look at an old jail or empty building as a blight on their neighborhood," NJ State Senator and Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.
"Joe is an exceptional leader and he convinced us that renovating this building for office use was the right thing," Freeholder President Blonnie Watson said. "We are happy to have the Appellate Court judges here as our key anchor in this building," she noted.
"I am proud our County Executive had the foresight to name this building after you, LeRoy. There is no one more deserving that you," Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.
"This project is symbolic of what Joe DiVincenzo has accomplished to transform this government complex into an outstanding place," First Assistant Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said. "For the Prosecutor’s Office, to have offices in the LeRoy Smith Building will increase our efficiency, effectiveness and cohesiveness and will enhance our access to the Appellate Court," she added.
In addition to the Appellate Division, Essex County entered into an agreement with the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to relocate its offices from Washington Street in Newark. The County also has plans to relocate several County offices and agencies to the LeRoy Smith Building, including the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Essex County Vocational Technical School’s administrative offices, the Essex County Superintendent of School’s Office, the Essex County Improvement Authority, the Essex County Utilities Authority and record storage.
The lease agreements with the State and the consolidation of offices into the County-owned LeRoy Smith Building are projected to generate $909,819 in yearly rental revenue and save $783,366 in rental/leasing costs. This averages about $1.7 million in savings or new, recurring revenue for Essex County.
The LeRoy F. Smith Building was dedicated in June 2008 and named after LeRoy F. Smith, Jr., who served as Associate Director of Emergency Medical Services at UMDNJ for 38 years before he retired in 2007. The structure was originally built in 1970 and had previously been used as the Essex County Jail. It was closed in March 2004 when the County opened its state-of-the-art Essex County Correctional Facility on Doremus Avenue in Newark. The renovations to the LeRoy Smith Building were designed by the Newark architectural firm Greg Comito & Associates.