CIVIC CENTER — After a $20 million renovation, a new Summons Court has launched inside the landmarked David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre St.
The court, which handles low-level criminal offenses for Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as citywide summonses for building and fire-code violations, opened Monday on the 16th floor of the building — the only court inside the building occupied mostly by city government offices, officials said.
The "state-of-the-art" court, housed in a 40,000-square-foot space previously occupied by the offices of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, has its own entrance, security system, lobby and elevator, officials said.
The move to the municipal building comes after the city sold the summons court's current building, 346 Broadway, for $160 million to developers who are planning to convert the space to luxury condos.
The city initially tried to move the summons court to 71 Thomas St., but the plan was squashed after local residents, who were adamantly against the court sued the city. The case was settled with the city promising to find a different location for the court.
Officials said the new court — which deals with offenses including littering, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession — will streamline the summons process. It incorporates "high-tech" elements like electronic check-in systems meant to reduce wait times and modern acoustic features to ensure proper sound levels in the space's three courtrooms.
They expect about 200 to 400 people to use the court daily, officials said.
