Notice of Availability FEIS

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Notice of Availability FEIS

The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the release of

the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), for the siting and

proposed construction of a new Courthouse Annex in the Central Business

Area (CBA) of Savannah, Georgia. The 30-day comment period for the FEIS

closes Monday, May 20, 1996.

The EIS has examined the impacts of constructing an Annex to the

Courthouse in the Savannah CBA. This includes impacts to historic and

cultural resources, traffic and parking, and socioeconomics (including

the impacts on local businesses and neighborhoods). The EIS examined

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 to historic properties as a result of undertaking the

proposed action. GSA is very much aware of the potential for adverse

affects on 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 a

165,000 occupiable square feet structure that will meet the 10-year and

30-year space requirements of the U.S. Courts. The project will contain

five 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 configurations were

considered technically feasible and analyzed in the EIS as follows:

1. ``No Action,'' that is, undertake no new construction.

Dated: April 11, 1996.

Phil Youngberg,

Regional Environmental Officer, 4PT.

2. Construction of a single building 80 feet tall on the

sites of the current Juliet Gordon Low Buildings A&B including building

over President Street. This is the GSA preferred alternative.

3. Construction two buildings 133 feet high on the sites

of the current Juliet Gordon Low Buildings A&B and not building over

President street.

4. Partial demolition and construction at the site of the

Juliet 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 Streets,

leaving undisturbed the two buildings facing Bull Street, demolishing

the remaining structures, and closing and building over Broughton Lane.

Public comments on the FEIS should be communicated to GSA by May 20

in writing at the following address with you and comments to: Mr.

Philip Youngberg, Regional Environmental Officer--4PT, 401 West

Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 3010, Atlanta, GA 30365-3010 or fax your

comments to Mr. Youngberg at 404-331-4540. Comments should be received

no later than May 20, 1996. GSA anticipates issuing a Record of

Decision after the close of the 30-day comment period.

[FR Doc. 96-9534. Filed 4-17-96; 8:45 am]

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