A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the Supreme Court modernization project will be held Tuesday, June 17, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. on the lawn near the Maryland Ave. entrance. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will make brief remarks. The Chief Justice and Justices O’Connor, Kennedy, and Souter, who are members of the Court’s Building Committee, will participate in the groundbreaking. Attendance is by invitation only. The ceremony will be open to press coverage on a space-available basis. Refreshments for invited guests will follow the ceremony. This portion of the event is closed to coverage.

Live video/audio pool feed will be made available on the Capitol Hill Pool DA system on DA number 9. Questions regarding access to the feed can be directed to the Senate Radio-TV Gallery at 202-224-6421. Media interested in covering the event must contact the Court’s Public Information Office, 202-479-3211, by no later than Monday, June 16 at 3 p.m. to obtain a credential to attend the ceremony. No one will be admitted to cover the event without a credential issued by the Public Information Office.

The Supreme Court building has not been upgraded since its completion in 1935. Phase I of the project, scheduled to begin in July 2003 and to be completed by July 2004, will be the construction of a 2-story underground annex on the Maryland Avenue side of the building. Phase II of the project, the modernization of the building’s 5 floors, is scheduled to begin in July 2004 and be completed in July 2008. The total estimated cost of the project is $122 million.