Governor reopens prosecutor’s office in Aguadilla

The reopened Aguadilla Prosecutor’s Office is housed in a historic building whose renovation involved a $2 million investment in state and federal funds.

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón on Monday reopened the Aguadilla Prosecutor’s Office in a historic building whose renovation involved a $2 million investment in state and federal funds.

“Today we are not only inaugurating a prosecutor’s office, today we are returning to Aguadilla a historic, safe, modern, and functional building, but above all, a dignified space for our people to receive the justice they deserve,” González Colón stated at a press conference.

“The opening of the new Aguadilla Prosecutor’s Office represents an important step in our commitment to offering a close, accessible, and efficient service to the public,” added Secretary of Justice Lourdes Gómez Torres.

The renovation began in 2022 following damage caused by Hurricane Fiona. The building, constructed in 1925 by architect Rafael Carmoega, is located on Progreso Street next to the Aguadilla Court of First Instance and has been included in the National Register of Historic Places since 1985.

The project was managed by the Public Buildings Authority (PBA), with an investment of $1,253,922 from its own funds and American Rescue Plan Act funds secured by González Colón when she was resident commissioner. The Department of Justice invested an additional $540,000 for furniture, security cameras and access control systems.

“The work has already been outstanding between the Department of Justice and the Police, and now we will be even more effective in the fight to achieve a safer Puerto Rico,” Police Commissioner Joseph González said.

PBA Executive Director Félix Lasalle Toro noted that the project included repairs to roofs, windows, slabs, walls, steel beams, general painting, pest control, and the installation of new bathrooms and equipment compliant with the Law for People with Disabilities.

A new air conditioning system was also installed, consisting of central units, mini-split units, and condensers with anti-corrosion treatment, in addition to cleaning and modernizing ducts and controls.