County Executive Don Cunningham will conduct a Grand Opening of the Lehigh County Courthouse lobby at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22. Employees will finally be able to use the front entrance of the building again.The lobby is a part of a 208,000 square-foot, $65 million, renovation project that includes five new courtrooms and judges’ chambers, jury deliberation rooms, as well as separate elevators for judges, prisoners and the public. It also includes a new exterior to fix a 40-year leaking problem and will offer increased security and more fluid traffic patterns for employees and visitors.
“This Courthouse belongs to the people of Lehigh County,” said Cunningham, who scaled back the project by $20 million after it had been approved by his predecessor. “It is their building , so it’s imperative that we be fiscally responsible and make sure every dime of taxpayer money is well spent.”
Cunningham expects to complete this renovation by February, several months ahead of schedule.
By the way, he's also soliciting suggestions for a new time capsule.
He was really thrilled by the last one, which was stuffed with old Playboy magazines; the only known photograph of Judge Coyne smiling (he had just sentenced a Northampton County lawyer to death); an old copy of something called an afternoon newspaper; an actual sports trophy awarded to William Allen High School; the crown jewels of Emma Tropiano; an old A&B cockroach about six inches long; former Mayor Afflerbach's brain; and finally, the remains of Allentown's last known Republican.
“Hopefully, we can be just as creative,” Cunningham said.
Commissioner Bill Leiner has already suggested stuffing the new time capsule with all the Republican Commissioners. Commissioner Dean Browning thinks the $20 million tax stabilization fund should be stuck in the box. "That way, Cunningham will never get his fingers on it."
maybe we could entomb a couple of allentown biggest pains in the asses in there. any suggestions?
ReplyDeletehow about the original plans, which would have been twice the courthouse for only 25% more cost and two photographs of donny; first the 05 one where he's playing the guitar, and the new iconic one, rolled up sleeves with his hands on his hips.
ReplyDeleteHow about a one way ticket out of the Valley from ABE stapled to a college diploma from any one of our local fine institutions
ReplyDeleteI disrespectfully suggest a photographic montage of chalk outlines from Pawlowski's safer Allentown. That, and an autographed copy of Guridy's Berlitz English course.
ReplyDeletehows about percy?
ReplyDeleteHow about we stuff ohare in there. Maybe 50 years from now there will be a cure for him.
ReplyDeleteA copy of the single, "I Got Wheels," to tell the future how horrible music was back in the day.
ReplyDelete