Brooklyn Municipal Building Renamed the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Municipal Building

Brooklyn Municipal Building Renamed the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Municipal Building
Brooklyn Municipal Building. (Photo: Zainab Iqbal/Bklyner)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, other local officials and the family of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gathered this afternoon to rename the Brooklyn Municipal building in her honor.

“Today we honor a true daughter of Brooklyn: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Justice Ginsburg fought for justice and equality her entire life. May her memory, and this building, inspire generations of New Yorkers to stand up, speak out and make our country a better place for all who call it home.”

The decision to rename the building was announced just four days after Justice Ginsburg’s death.

“It is an honor to participate in the renaming of Brooklyn Municipal Building for my mother, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” said Jane Ginsburg. “A daughter of Brooklyn, she was born here 88 years ago today. Brooklyn institutions shaped my mother’s intellectual development. Not just its public schools, but also the public library, the Brooklyn Museum, and especially the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For all the family, I thank you for this grand event.”

Justice Ginsburg was born in Flatbush/Midwood on March 15, 1933. She graduated from James Madison High School in 1950 and in 1993 was appointed to the Supreme Court, the second woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court.

The Brooklyn Municipal Building at 210 Joralemon Street in downtown Brooklyn was built in 1924. The plaques honoring the late Justice Ginsburg are located on both sides of the building’s main entrance.

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s legacy as a jurist was incredible – inspiring, progressive and just. Her impact on the court was tremendous in scope and in value as we strive for an America that lives up to its promise– her resilience seemed unmatchable as she worked to fulfill that promise. She was a proud Brooklynite, and with this renaming Brooklyn is proclaiming that we are proud to be home to a brilliant mind, a fearless fighter, a diligent public servant who spent her life dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of the vulnerable,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.