Hampden Register of Probate joins voices protesting pick for courthouse site
By Jeanette DeForge | jdeforge@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD — The Register of Probate has joined other officials in the legal community to question the state’s decision to have the new courthouse built by an out-of-town developer in the northeast section of downtown.
Rosemary Saccomani released a statement Friday questioning the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance’s decision to award a $1.94 billion, 40-year contract to Liberty Junction to build the new Roderick Ireland Courthouse on Liberty Street.
Saccomani, who has held the position since 2020 but worked in the office for three decades before that, called on state officials to “take another careful look” at all 11 bid proposals before committing to the agreement that is designed to last as long as 60 years.
“That means looking beyond today’s construction schedule or today’s price. It means considering the family driving in from a Hilltown, the senior citizen trying to find accessible parking, the juror arriving before sunrise, the parent carrying documents while holding a child’s hand, the employee who spends every working day in the building, and the future court system that will inherit the decisions we make today,” her statement said.
Her statement came one day after Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni asked for the state to redo the bidding process, saying the Liberty Street proposal was too far from the city’s downtown business district and aired his own concerns about parking.
They join multiple other Springfield officials and courthouse principals including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Clerk of Courts Laura Gentile, Registrar of Deeds Cheryl Coakley-Rivera and several city councilors to protest the decision.