Legal injunction sought against courthouse site, citing ‘impropriety’

The Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse currently sits on State Street in Springfield’s downtown. A site for a new courthouse has caused controversy, including a lawsuit from two local developers.
Reminder Publishing file photo

SPRINGFIELD — The selection of 125 Liberty St. as the future home for the Springfield Regional Justice Center is in question after a legal injunction was sought by two developers whose properties had also been in the running.

USPB JV LLC, owned by James “Jeb” Balise, and Springfield Tower Square LLC, a company owned by Dinesh Patel, had each sought to secure the $2 billion, 40-year lease for their respective properties.

But on July 9, the competitors jointly filed a motion in Hampden County Superior Court to halt the project. According to the complaint, the site owned by FDS MA Liberty Junction LLC was selected by Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance despite conflicts of interest.

“This decision, which is rife with conflicts of interest, undermines the integrity of the public procurement process by awarding the contract to a company whose principals, John Barros and Conan Harris, have deep conflicts. Mr. Barros is currently the Interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority… a powerful state agency whose Board of Directors include senior DCAMM officials.” Matthew Gorzkowicz is the secretary of the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, the office overseeing DCAMM. He is also an MCCA board member.

The complaint goes on to say that the project request for proposal submitted by Liberty Junction contained inconsistencies and failed to comply with certain requirements. The document further alleges DCAMM’s decision to announcement of the project award July 2, just before the Independence Day holiday, has the “unmistakable appearance of impropriety” because it was during the “lowest-attention window of the summer, when press, legislative, and public scrutiny are at their thinnest.”

In a joint press release from the plaintiffs, Balise said his priority is creating a better downtown. “My family has lived and worked in the Springfield area for four generations, and a new courthouse done the right way could be a generational boost for our downtown.” Meanwhile, Patel commented, “A nearly $2 billion, 40-year commitment has to be built on a foundation of trust and transparency. We’re asking the court to press pause so Springfield gets the fair, honest process it deserves.”

Reminder Publishing reached out to Barros for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi weighed in on the situation. “I’ve said for years that Western Massachusetts needs a safe, modern courthouse, and I remain pleased this project is finally moving forward because every day of delay means people continue working in a building that should have been replaced years ago,” Cocchi said. “Too many people have become sick, and too many members of our courthouse family have passed away after working in conditions that should never have existed.”

He continued, “At the same time, I understand why local developers are frustrated. This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the third-largest city in Massachusetts, and I believe the Commonwealth should have placed greater emphasis on long-term civic and economic impact, not just cost. I respect the legal process and hope this is resolved quickly so we can finally give Western Massachusetts the courthouse it deserves.”

Built in 1971, the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse serves the Springfield district, and hears cases from Springfield, West Springfield and Longmeadow. Over the past decade, courthouse employees have advocated for a new court, saying environmental conditions, such as mold, have made the current courthouse a “sick building.” Personnel working at the courthouse have experienced a litany of illnesses, including cancers, respiratory conditions and five deaths due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gherig’s Disease.