State city officials seek funding for new courthouse in Warren

WARREN — City officials and state lawmakers are looking to obtain funding to help build a new courthouse in Warren.

State Rep. Ron Robinson, R-Utica, along with Warren City Council Secretary Mindy Moore and Councilman Gary Boike and 37th District Court Administrator Annette Gattari-Ross, appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity March 9.

The request for $10 million in state funding will help construct a new courthouse. The current facility houses four judges, but the State Court Administrative Office has indicated the need for an additional judge to keep up with the court’s caseload, according to a press release from Robinson’s office.

“This investment would allow the city of Warren to better serve residents and ensure the court system has the space it needs to operate safely and efficiently,” Robinson said in a statement. “This funding would be a meaningful step toward supporting both the community and the judicial system for years to come, bolstering the integrity of our court system and the rule of law.”

According to the press release, the current courtrooms are also smaller than state standards, which stipulates that courtrooms should be between 1,600 and 1,700 square feet, including seating for approximately 80 people. The courtrooms in Warren are less than 1,100 square feet and can only accommodate about 40 people, the press release states.

Judge John Chmura, who serves as the 37th District Court’s chief judge, said the current courthouse has a number of problems, including safety issues.

“We’ve got prisoners that are just going through the halls where the public is,” he said. “They’re being brought up to the court to have their cases heard, and I can’t think of anything more unsafe than that.”

Chmura added that the building’s HVAC and power systems have caused the court to close a number of times in recent months.

On Dec. 16, 2025, and Jan. 30, he said, the building closed due to an excess of carbon monoxide. On March 16, the building didn’t have enough power to run the court recording equipment, which caused another closure, he said.

“The facility is, apart from unsafe, just old, dilapidated, falling apart and has got to be replaced,” he said.

Additionally, Chmura added the issue of the state adding a fifth judge.

“We need another courtroom. The (State Court Administrative Office) is recommending that we have an additional judge, and we’re hoping that the Legislature gives that judge to us,” he said. “But right now, we’ve got no room to put that judge, because we only have four courtrooms, so we have to have a facility that can handle that extra judge.”

Each year, Warren Mayor Lori Stone said the city looks at projects that might be helpful in bringing back local taxpayer dollars, either from state budgets or federal budgets.

It was decided before she even took office that a new courthouse was needed.

“There’s no disagreement in the need for our 37th District Courthouse to be replaced. It has long exceeded its lifespan,” Stone said.

According to Gattari-Ross, an architecture firm conducted a needs assessment and conceptual design service for the court in 2009. On Dec. 10, 2021, the City Council approved a contract with BKV Group for architectural and engineering services for a new courthouse.

Then, between January 2022 and July 2024, workshops, stakeholder meetings, and tours of the current courthouse were conducted. In April 2025, approval of a new conceptual site plan was extended by two years by the Warren Planning Commission, Gattari-Ross said.

Warren’s police headquarters complex was built around the same time as the courthouse, Stone said, so there may be a need to replace that in the near future, too.

“This isn’t a yes or no. This is a how much for this project (scenario)?” she said. “And then what other projects are waiting in the wings that, if we finance everything now, the next project that comes along that is badly in need of a replacement, a refurbishment, building investment, what will we have?”

If funding for a new courthouse is obtained, Gattari-Ross said the mayor and City Council would review and approve financing and the next phases of construction. The final site plan would have to be reviewed by city planners.

“Depending on when the necessary approvals were completed, it would take approximately 18 months before the court could begin operating and serving the public,” she said.

Gattari-Ross added that construction costs have increased, and they expect them to continue increasing.

“We cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer … We feel we are finally moving in a positive direction,” she said.