Federal Agencies Celebrate Groundbreaking for U.S. Courthouse in Saipan

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands today joined the Marianas Management Corporation at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction for a new U.S. Courthouse in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The new courthouse is the result of a 20-year lease construct arrangement between the federal government and Marianas Management Corporation.  

The three-story courthouse will be constructed on Gualo Rai Road, Garapan, Saipan, and will house the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Protective Service. The courthouse will include one courtroom, two judges’ chambers, a jury assembly room and office space for building tenants.

“We are very excited to see construction beginning for this new courthouse,” said GSA’s Acting Pacific Rim Regional Administrator Dan Brown. “Today’s event is a major step forward in fulfilling the judiciary’s requirement for a new courthouse in Saipan. The new facility will address long-standing security and space needs on the island. Through a lease arrangement, the Marianas Management Corporation is providing a modern facility with functional space and innovative technology to meet the operational requirements of the U.S. District Court in the Northern Mariana Islands.” 

The 35,696 square-foot courthouse will meet current requirements for the judiciary’s functional and security needs. The design also incorporates innovative lighting and landscaping, energy efficient fixtures and wastewater technologies projected to realize future cost savings and conserve resources. The courthouse is scheduled for completion in summer 2019. Since 1989, the District Court has convened in the Horiguchi Building on the island of Saipan.

“We are thrilled to break ground. It is such an important milestone,” said Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands. “We look forward to the new courthouse that will meet modern federal judicial standards and security requirements.” 

* Images courtesy Marianas Management   Corporation  

Speakers at the groundbreaking included: Lt. Governor Victor B. Hocog, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands; Norman T. Tenorio, Secretary and Board member of MMC; Ryan Jimenez, D.D., Bishop of Chalan Kanoa, and Guadalupe Flores, GSA’s Public Buildings Service Branch Chief, Real Estate Acquisition Division.

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About the U.S. General Services Administration:

The mission of the U.S. General Services Administration is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition and technology services to the government and the American people. 

About the District Court for the Northern Mariana Island:

The mission of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands is to serve the community by ensuring equal access to justice for all by providing an impartial forum to resolve disputes in a fair, effective and timely manner pursuant to the rule of law. The District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands was established by an act of Congress in 1977 and became operational in January 1978. The District Court has the same jurisdiction to hear federal cases as U.S. District Courts, including bankruptcy cases. Appeals are taken to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.