A county task force studying what to do with downtown Miami's 87-year-old courthouse recommended building a $360 million replacement — but the suggestion came with a dissenting opinion, says the Miami Herald. A draft version of the Miami-Dade Court Capital Infrastructure Task Force's report declares that the county's 1928 civil courthouse is no longer able to support the judiciary in a “dignified and technologically current” way. It urged construction of a new facility in downtown Miami with double the courtrooms.
Architect Maria Luisa Castellanos, one of seven task-force members, said she couldn't go along with the idea of using so much government money on a judicial facility she described as a “want” instead of a “need.” Paying for the courthouse is a particularly challenging topic, since Miami-Dade voters last year rejected a proposed tax increase to spend $390 million on a new one. There was no chosen site for the new facility or plan for a new building, which backers said was desperately needed. County officials said issues were being addressed by ongoing repairs, leaving space as the primary challenge.