Officials provide updates on multi-million dollar Springfield Courthouse project

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Plans to replace the aging Roderick Ireland courthouse are gaining momentum as state officials shared updates on the multi-million-dollar project Wednesday.

This follows a critical vote made in January that gave the green light to pursue a public-private partnership and get this courthouse built as quickly as possible.

State officials returned to Springfield Wednesday night to meet with city leaders and residents, to outline the next steps in the effort to replace the Hampden County courthouse. Residents and councilors raised questions about equity, long-term impact, and how residents will benefit.

Springfield City Councilor Tim Allen told 22News, "I'm the chair of the finance committee, so we need to understand if it goes whatever way it goes, what the financial implications are on Springfield." The division of capital asset management and maintenance, or DCAMM, is leading the $600 million project.

They report a 3-to-1 vote by the state's asset management board back in January, which approved a public-private partnership to get this project moving faster. This allows the state to lease the facility over a 40 to 60-year term, rather than build it through traditional state funding. It will also make the building taxable and put the city in a better financial position. Request for proposals from developers is slated to begin later this year, to have the site secured by early 2026.

The courthouse will remain in Springfield, but a specific site has not been chosen, until a developer is selected. The current courthouse will remain open as the new site is constructed, and Roderick Ireland will likely remain the name for the new building. Officials say this approach could save the state up to $82 million in the first 10 years of the lease, and emphasize that the community's priorities on accessibility, location, and public benefit will be key factors in selecting a proposal.

Officials stress the current courthouse cannot be reused for the new project, as the building must stay operational until the new one is complete.