SPRINGFIELD — The Healey-Driscoll administration has hired Greystone Real Estate Advisory Group to lead the procurement process for the future Springfield Regional Justice Center project.
According to the announcement sent by the state, “Greystone will provide strategic guidance, evaluation support and negotiation assistance throughout the project. which will contribute to efforts by the Division of Capital Asset Management and the Executive Office of the Trial Court to solicit proposals that meet the priorities stakeholders have expressed.”
The state plans to send requests for proposals for the project on June 30, the announcement states.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to building a new Springfield Courthouse that meets the needs of the community and the Court as expeditiously as possible,” said DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke. “DCAMM is pleased to enlist a firm with Greystone’s extensive experience and track record to support this solicitation.”
According to the state, Greystone has been providing commercial real estate service to public, private and not for profit clients since 1999. Their website says that the organization is the “nation’s leader in the management of revenue-producing properties for public transportation agencies.”
“The Trial Court is committed to working closely with DCAMM to ensure the successful delivery of a courthouse that meets the needs of the Springfield community and advances the important work of the justice system,” said Court Administrator Thomas Ambrosino in response to the hiring. “We support DCAMM’s efforts to make the procurement process as transparent and competitive as possible.”
This announcement comes after a monthslong process where the state’s Asset Management Board approved a proposal from the Trial Court to pursue a long-term lease for a 330,000-square-foot complex in Springfield with an initial term of 40 years and a maximum term of 60 years.
The proposed justice center will house the Hampden County Superior Court, Springfield District Court, Hampden Probate and Family Court, Springfield Juvenile Court and the Western Massachusetts Housing Court.
A location for the new center has not been chosen yet.
During two public hearings in early January, Baacke said that the board was considering the leasing plan because the state’s current capital plan is “extremely constrained, and frankly, oversubscribed.”
Baacke argued during the Jan. 7 meeting that the public/private partnership made the most sense because it would accelerate the creation for a new facility in the city and foster a hope that a lease for the new courthouse can be executed in 2026.
“If we were to deliver the Regional Justice Center for Springfield under the current capital plan, in order to have enough space in the capital plan to do it, it’s going to prolong our ability to deliver the project,” Baacke said on Jan. 7. “So, part of why we’re interested in considering the alternative approach this evening as part of this effort is because we think that we can greatly accelerate getting a new facility for the people of this region.”
The reason for the state’s eagerness to quickly build the new Regional Justice Center is because the current Roderick J. Ireland Courthouse has experienced a long history of poor environmental health conditions, including an accumulation of mold and dust that has led to respiratory and fatigue problems for those who work in the building.
On April 30, the Springfield City Council’s Finance Committee invited representatives from DCAMM to hear people’s ideas about the new courthouse, including how it should be built and where it should or should not be located: tinyurl.com/mrxcnvsw.
Readers can learn more about the courthouse process over the past few months by visiting prior Reminder Publishing reporting: tinyurl.com/3c35z2s7.
Project updates can be seen here: tinyurl.com/v623u68d.
