Conditions at Tampa's federal courthouse upset Sen.

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Conditions at Tampa's federal courthouse upset Sen.

By Graham, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tampabay.com - St. sburg,FL,USA

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/article976531.ece

U.S. District Judge Kovachevich helps U.S. Sen. Bill

get a look at some of the water damage and structural problems at the

Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Tampa.

TAMPA — It took about 30 minutes Monday for U.S. Sen. Bill to

begin feeling the effects of the " sick " federal courthouse building

downtown that has caused numerous health problems since it opened

just over a decade ago.

" I'm beginning to clog up, " he said, his voice noticeably strained

after touring the building to see mildew and mold growing on window

seals and buckets placed strategically to catch rain leaks. " This is

totally unacceptable. "

called the lack of response to permanently fix the

problems " bordering on criminal activity. " He's holding the

building's original contractor, Construction Group LLC,

responsible.

" I'm going to absolutely raise Cain, " said. " I'm going to stay

on their doorstep. "

U.S. District Judge Kovachevich, chief judge at the Tampa

courthouse, knows first-hand the problems that persist inside the

building. Kovachevich, whose courtroom is at the top of the 17-story

building, has had to take breaks during trials when she feels a

reaction to the mold.

" If I can't function, I can't be a U.S. district judge, " she said.

She joked Monday that she works in a " green building, " while pointing

to visible patches of mold, but thanked for looking into a

serious matter she said affects hundreds of employees and visitors to

the courthouse every day.

And like , Kovachevich showed signs Monday of being in a " sick "

building.

Kovachevich pointed to the redness in her cheeks, a symptom, she

said, of an allergic reaction after a brief exposure to some of the

mold. She warns jurors to bring jackets and blankets when in her

courtroom, because she often keeps the thermostat set to 55 degrees

to tolerate the conditions.

" I've had to come off the bench and set it as a refrigerator . . .

just to make it livable, " Kovachevich said.

wants the General Services Administration, which oversees

federal buildings, to explain why maintenance work on the Sam M.

Gibbons Federal Courthouse has yet to be completed.

An executive with Construction didn't return a call Monday

seeking comment.

Completed for $64.5 million in 1997, the courthouse opened months

late and millions over budget. Broken pipes, a leaky roof and too-low

benches caused costly hiccups. Then a health inspection found workers

there had high rates of respiratory illness, adult onset asthma

and " sick building syndrome, " the St. sburg Times reported.

Another million went into fixing top-floor windows in 2006. Now, it

seems, repairs to the building have stalled.

A spokesman for the senator's office said called on the GSA

last year not to go easy on the building's " shoddy workmanship, "

which he says has allowed mold and diesel fumes to beset the 363,000-

square-foot glass and limestone facility.

Times photographer J. Coddington contributed to this story.

Graham can be reached at kgraham@... or (813) 226-3433.

[Last modified: Feb 16, 2009 10:46 PM]