Springfield Regional Justice Center Project Overview
The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Trial Court are excited to embark on next steps for the Springfield Regional Justice Center project, which will consolidate local court operations from two buildings into one contemporary, functional, and efficient building. Rather than move forward with the initial plan to purchase a parcel of land and construct a state-owned Regional Justice Center, the Commonwealth will solicit proposals from private developers for a long-term lease (through a new competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process) to either build a new facility or renovate an existing building to house court operations. This shift in acquisition approach will accelerate the project timeline for the new court facility.
Project Details
The Commonwealth will solicit proposals for a site capable of hosting up to 330,000 usable square feet of space for judicial, administrative, detention, and court services for an initial lease term of 40 years and two ten-year extension options, for a maximum term of 60 years. There is currently no specific location identified for this purpose but primary considerations in the evaluation process will include whether proposals incorporate a prominent site centrally located in Springfield that is convenient and accessible to court users. Other features beneficial to courthouse operations will be detailed in the RFP. An ideal development partner will demonstrate experience and capacity to finance, design, build, and manage a modern court facility per program requirements that will be provided by the Commonwealth for the proposed lease term.
Management Boards Approval Process
The project proposal requires authorization from the Commonwealth’s Asset Management Board (AMB), which is scheduled to review the proposal at its next meeting on January 21, 2025. In addition, there will be two public hearings (details below) on the topic and the public may submit comments on the proposal for the next 30 days. The AMB will consider the public feedback in making their decision. If approved, we anticipate that the Request for Proposals (RFP), including more detailed requirements and comparative considerations, will be released in Spring 2025.
DCAMM is committed to maximizing competition for this project, consistent with the recent Inspector General’s report addressing long-term leasing of public facilities, in order to best serve the public interest in a fiscally responsible manner.
Public Hearing Information
A public hearing was held on January 2, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89056261798. The public was invited to comment on the proposed project at the public hearing and may submit written comments to kendra.howes@mass.gov. The deadline for submitting written comments is Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
An additional public hearing was held on January 7, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the Springfield State Office Building, 436 Dwight St., Springfield, MA. The public was invited to comment on the proposed project at the public hearing and may submit written comments to Kendra.howes@mass.gov. The deadline for submitting written comments is Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Notice of Public Hearing was published on or before Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 5:00PM.