Higgins welcomes GSA initiative on reuse of Dillon Courthouse

Congressman said announcement gets things moving and puts future of site back in local hands

Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, welcomed an announcement by the U.S. General Services Administration that it is issuing a "request for information" seeking ideas for the reuse of the Dillon Courthouse building, which sits vacant along Niagara Square in Buffalo.

"This 'request for information' is the first step in the process of potentially revitalizing this property through the private sector," Higgins said. "GSA's announcement that the building will not be home to a federal tenant is not unexpected and is another opportunity for WNY to control its own destiny by bringing new life to this historic building in Buffalo."

Higgins called on the General Services Administration to develop and present a reuse plan in September of 2012. At that time, he said, "Niagara Square is home to the Dillon Courthouse, the new U.S. Courthouse, the Statler, City Hall and the gateway to the Buffalo Convention Center, representing a magnificent coming together of Buffalo's history and future. We are pressing to make sure that federal bureaucrats understand that swift action on a reuse plan for a structure that sits at the epicenter of downtown Buffalo is not only their responsibility, but critically important to our community and economy."

The Dillon Courthouse was first dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 and served as home to federal court and offices until the opening of the news federal courthouse in 2011.