Rededication held for Alton Lennon Federal Courthouse in Wilmington after 6-year closure
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A rededication ceremony was held on Friday for the Alton Lennon Federal Building and Courthouse in downtown Wilmington.
Originally built in 1919, the federal courthouse has been a staple of Wilmington’s skyline for more than a century.
However, the building sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Florence in 2018, with wind, rain, and water leaving it in need of major repairs. The power outages and mechanical failures that followed led to mold growth throughout the 60,000 square foot building.
In June 2019, congress approved $41 million dollars to fund the restoration.
Officials with the US General Services Administration joined Chief Judge Richard Myers to celebrate the building’s rededication.
“This building is an amazing space, the architects did an amazing job putting it back together and I’m really grateful to be able to serve in this courthouse,” Myers said.
During repairs, the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina temporarily operated out of the former Star News Building on 17th St.
“I used to tell all my students we can hold court in a field, and that is true, we just need seats for the attorneys and seats for the witnesses, and we can do it. But it’s better if we can do it in a courthouse,” Myers said during the ceremony.
GSA Regional Commissioner Jeffrey Smith touted the rededication as an important milestone for the historic building.
“I can tell you ladies and gentlemen; this is a big deal. We are making history today, and I hope that it not lost on you,” Smith said,
But one thing many Wilmingtonians might be wondering, what took the project so long?
“I get this question a lot, and people have to understand the entire process for the federal government to do a project of this size is fairly significant, so it took us a while to find the funding,” Smith explained.
Smith noted the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the sheer scope of the project also contributed to the delays.
