SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - State officials have decided on a location for a new Springfield courthouse.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) said they have accepted a recommendation from the Massachusetts Trial Court and chosen 125 Liberty Street as the site for the new Roderick Ireland Regional Justice Center in Springfield.

“The new facility will retain the Roderick L. Ireland name, but will replace an obsolete building with modern, safe, accessible and sustainable court facilities for employees, court users and visitors throughout the region,” DCAMM explained in a statement.

The site was one of 13 proposed sites through the city that were under consideration by the state’s Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM). For years, employees at the current courthouse have complained about health issues, including toxic mold within the building.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, who refused to transport inmates into the building in 2021 and 2022 following troubling environmental findings in an effort to mitigate any risk to staff or inmates, said in a statement:

“For too long, dedicated public servants have worked in a building plagued by serious environmental concerns, while respiratory illnesses and cancer have cast a shadow over the courthouse community. As we celebrate this milestone, we should also remember the many members of that community who never got to see this day, as well as those who continue to battle serious illnesses. The best way to honor them is to move this project forward as quickly as possible so future generations never have to question whether coming to work is putting their health at risk.”

Now that a site has been determined and, in an effort to get the new building up as quickly as possible, DCAMM will work to execute an initial lease term of 40 years, with two optional 10-year extensions, allowing occupancy for up to 60 years. “Had the project been delivered through traditional state construction, it would have taken at least twice as long, due to capital plan funding constraints. Because it will be privately owned, the project will also generate significant new property taxes for the City of Springfield,” DCAMM explained.

The new facility, with expected occupancy in 2030, is proposed to be a six-story, L-shaped building that is designed to maximize efficiency, providing a logical and efficient layout for court operations, and bringing natural light into all courtrooms. It will also ultimately replace and consolidate operations currently housed at the Roderick Ireland Courthouse and Western Housing Court on Elm Street.

Western Mass News will continue to follow this story and will have the latest as it becomes available.

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