Government

County plans to shuffle courtrooms next year

BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO | The Supreme Court building on Griffing Avenue in October 2012.

Some changes will be coming soon to local courts thanks to the anticipated completion of the Griffing Avenue court renovations, which started in 2007.

Suffolk County now is aiming to start reoccupying the Griffing Avenue courts at the beginning of 2014, according to Marian Tineri, a spokesperson for the Suffolk Courts.

By that time, five civil courtrooms used by state supreme court judges will be relocated to the Griffing Avenue courts, she said.

By the end of 2014, the county also plans to move Family Court from rented space on East Main Street in Riverhead to the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex near the county center in Riverside, Mr. Tineri said.

The Cromarty building is predominately used for criminal courts, but some civil courts are currently there, she said.

The 84-year-old Griffing Avenue court complex was expanded in 2004, when construction began on 10 new courts that were completed in 2007. After that, work began on renovating the old courts, but that job took longer than expected because in 2008 officials discovered extensive water damage in the old buildings.

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