From the archives: Courthouse dome renovation complete

This story was originally published in Newsday on July 14, 2002

There was no sign of the political tension between Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi and some legislators, irked by the charitable trust he set up to fund the renovation of county buildings without their approval.

Instead, Suozzi and county officials gathered yesterday in Mineola to trumpet their first project paid for by the fund, the renovation of the 102-year-old Nassau County Courthouse dome.

Suozzi also announced the renaming of the courthouse as the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in honor of the former president who exactly 102 years ago helped lay the cornerstone of the building when he was New York governor.

Suozzi hailed the dome's restoration as a symbol of the county's turnaround and the kickoff of a $100-million renovation of many of the county's buildings.

"Our once symbol of civic pride is now a symbol of the civic problems we face here in Nassau County," he said in a speech on the courthouse steps.

But he quickly added, "The old county courthouse will be reclaimed," later proclaiming that restoring the county's buildings is "simply a symbol of the things to come in this county."

Also speaking were Jonathan Roosevelt, the great-great grandson of the late president, and Roosevelt impersonator James W. Foote, who re-created Roosevelt's speech the day he laid the original cornerstone. The short speeches concluded with the whisking off of the blue tarp covering the dome, revealing its new white concrete surface.

The afternoon's events included exhibits and performances reflecting the history of the building and Roosevelt, as well as a county employee picnic.

The celebration occurred after a week in which some legislators raised questions about the Nassau First Charitable Trust Suozzi set up last month to solicit private donations and contract for the courthouse work, along with other renovation projects. When asked about the situation yesterday, Suozzi said, "We've resolved those issues this week," noting that the legislators voted to rename the courthouse.

Trustees selected the architect and restoration firm for the dome project and two of them signed the contract for the work without receiving the legislature's approval or notifying them.

Suozzi initially insisted that the trust was donating services and did not need legislative approval. But after lawmakers Monday voted to block a key part of the overall $7.5-million courthouse renovation plan, he apologized and promised to bring future projects, such as gifts, to the legislature for approval.