James A. Walsh Federal Building, Tucson

The 1930 United State Post Office and Court House in Tucson was renamed the James A. Walsh Courthouse in 1985. When the General Services Administration began planning for the new DeConcini courthouse in 1995 the fate of the Walsh Courthouse was uncertain. The decision was made to rehabilitate the building for use by the US Bankruptcy Court. The judges of the Ninth Circuit district, serving all of Arizona, strongly endorsed the stewardship opportunity of the project.

The rehabilitation has been very sensitive to the unique architectural detailing and functional layout of the original building while integrating all contemporary requirements into the pre-existing spaces. Of special note was the restoration of the original courtroom. Architects for the project were “Westlake Reed Leskosky.” The success of this restoration/rehabilitation project for GSA and in support of Tucson’s goal of encouraging revitalization of their downtown establishes a strong precedent for the reuse of other federal buildings in Arizona. [Photo source: Westlake Reed Leskosky.]