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The state's capital, or public-works, budget, approved last week, contains a $200 million appropriation for a new, consolidated family court at 15th and Arch.
But, because of the troubled economy and "overall costs to the commonwealth," Gov. Rendell has said that it was "unlikely to be funded" now, according to his spokesman, Chuck Ardo.
Rendell is, however, "still open to discussing the future of the family courts with both those involved with the court system and the city," Ardo said yesterday.
Despite Ardo's unwelcome news, the court system is contemplating going ahead with the planning stages of the project, as it seeks talks with Rendell, state Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, liaison justice to the local court system, said yesterday.
At a meeting in March, Castille said, the governor was "very supportive" of a new courthouse to replace two overcrowded, and possibly dangerous, buildings.
They are the domestic courts offices at 34 S. 11th St., so crowded, according to advocates, that abuse victims and their alleged attackers have to sit near each other, and the heavily used juvenile court at 1801 Vine St.
The city had planned to help subsidize the new court facility by putting the elegant 1801 Vine St. building up for sale, Castille said.
He called the new courthouse appropriation "a huge step forward."
Castille said that the court system had collected $5 million in filing fees and could use that to proceed with initial planning.
"We're not deterred," Castille said. "We're continuing ahead."
Local courts administrator David Lawrence said after yesterday's news from the Rendell administration that court officials now are in the dark "about what the possible options might be. Is next year a possibility? Or could we proceed with preliminary plans for the building?"
Frank Cervone, of the Support Center for Child Advocates; Carol E. Tracey, of the Women's Law Project; and Lynn Marks, director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, expressed deep disappointment at Rendell's decision.
Even though the appropriation for the courthouse was approved in last week's capital budget, it is only one of a number of proposed projects within the capital budget.
Rendell must pick from among the projects the ones for which to seek financing by bonds.
By law, the state has a debt ceiling, so he cannot go ahead with all of the projects at once, unless the state can afford it.
Like the courthouse, Ardo said, many other "worthwhile" pro-jects are going unfunded "in this tough financial year." *
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