[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 3714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2123]



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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Notice of Availability DEIS

    The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the release of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), for the siting and 
proposed construction of a new Courthouse Annex in the Central Business 
Area (CBA) of Savannah, Georgia, A 45-day public comment period begins 
February 2 and runs through March 18, 1996.
    The DEIS has examines the impacts of constructing an Annex of the 
existing Courthouse in the Savannah CBA. This includes impacts to 
historic and cultural resources, traffic and parking, and socioeconomic 
(including the impacts of local businesses). The DEIS examines ways to 
mitigate unavoidable adverse impacts of the proposed action. Concurrent 
with implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act 
requirements, GSA has also implemented its consultation requirements 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, regarding 
the impacts of historic properties as a result of undertaking the 
proposed action. GSA is very much aware of the potential for adverse 
affects to the National Historic Landmark District as a result of the 
proposed action, and has made every effort to identify and take into 
account such affects while planning this project.
    The New Courthouse will house approximately 250 employees in an 
165,000 to 180,000 occupiable square feet (osf) structure(s) that will 
meet the 10-year and 30-year space requirements of the US Courts. The 
project will contain four courtrooms, and office space for Court-
related agencies, as well as space for GSA. After an exhaustive process 
of site identification and site screening, three potential sites and 
four alternative configurations, and the ``No Action'' alternative, 
were considered technically feasible and analyzed in the DEIS as 
follows:
     1. ``No Action,'' that is, undertake no new construction.
     2. Construction of a single 165,000 osf building 80 feet 
tall on the sites of the current Juliette Gordon Low Federal Buildings 
A & B including building over President Street. This is the GSA 
preferred alternative.
     3. Construction of two buildings with a total of 180,000 
osf, 133 feet tall, on the sites of the current Juliette Gordon Low 
Buildings A & B and not building over President Street.
     4. Partial demolition and construction of the site of the 
Juliette Gordon Low Building currently housing the US Army Corps of 
Engineers.
     5. Construction north of the existing Courthouse on a 1.4 
acre parcel bounded by State, Bull, Broughton, and Whitaker Street, 
leaving undisturbed the two buildings facing Bull, Street, demolishing 
the remaining structures, and closing and building over Broughton Lane.
    As part of the public comment process, you are encouraged to 
contact GSA in writing at the following address with your comments 
regarding the DEIS: Mr. Philip Youngberg, Regional Environmental 
Officer--4PT, 401 West Peachtree Street, NW., Suite 3015, Atlanta, GA 
30365-2550; or FAX your comments to Mr. Youngberg at 404-331-4540. 
Comments should be postmarked no later than Monday, March 18, 1996.
    GSA will conduct a Public Meeting to solicit comments for the DEIS. 
A Notice of this meeting and all subsequent public meetings conducted 
by GSA for this project will appear in the Savannah News-Press at least 
two weeks prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 23, 1996.
Phil Youngberg,
Regional Environmental Officer (4PT).
[FR Doc. 96-2123 Filed 1-31-96; 8:45 am]
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