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Federal Agency Inspecting Leaky Tampa Courthouse

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By CHRIS ECHEGARAY

Published: February 13, 2008

The General Services Administration is conducting a four-month inspection of the multimillion dollar federal courthouse plagued by leaks, mold and diesel fumes, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said today.

The inspection that began a month ago is aimed at identifying fixes for what it terms a multitude of issues at the $81 million Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse, a 17-story building.

Nelson said that the agency expects repair work to take two years.

Water tests in windows on the 12th floor led to leaks six floors below, according to a Nelson staff member whose office is in the building.

"I want to know if there was shoddy workmanship by any of the contractors, and what's going to be done about it," Nelson said in his letter to the GSA today.

An environmental report six years ago found that employees at the 363,000 square-foot building on North Florida Avenue were three times more likely to have adult onset asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Also, courthouse employees reported nearly five times as many cases of "sick building syndrome" - an illness characterized by headaches, dizziness, runny nose and itchy eyes.

An environmental assessment report on the problems was filed with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts in 2001. But by 2005, the GSA reported such complaints had subsided.

The courthouse construction was finished in 1997. The structure is made of glass and limestone. A year later, a pressure control valve was set improperly, dumping gallons of water that spilled onto eight floors.

The building is named for Gibbons, a native of Tampa who served 34 years in Congress. Its 17 stories are symbolic of the 17 consecutive terms Gibbons served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, there's 17 courtrooms.

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