Several of Hampshire County’s courts may be consolidated into one brand new building within the next 10 years.
Those changes are part of a draft report of the Courts Capital Master Plan, a proposal to address deterioration and disrepair in the commonwealth’s 97 court facilities, 65 percent of which are more than 50 years old. The draft proposal, which the Massachusetts Trial Court and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance released Tuesday, would be implemented over 20 years at an estimated cost of $3.16 billion, without adjusting for inflation.
Under the proposal, some of the state’s courts would be placed together in new “Regional Justice Centers.” As part of that consolidation, the number of court facilities in the state would eventually be reduced from 97 to 75.
“These older facilities provide significant challenges to court operations due to intractable layouts, high costs to renovate, lack of secure circulation, lack of accessibility, inadequate space, poor adjacency of functions, and confusing wayfinding,” the draft report says.
One of the regions slated for consolidation is Hampshire County.
In the first five years of the draft plan, Northampton’s Probate and Family Court would move into a new leased building that the state’s Trial Court is in the process of finalizing, according to a Trial Court spokesperson.
Then, over the next five years, the probate and family, district and superior courts, as well as Hadley’s juvenile and housing courts, would all be consolidated in a new Northampton courthouse, estimated to cost over $101 million.
The current Hampshire County Courthouse, housing Northampton District and Hampshire Superior courts, was built in the mid-1970s.
Plans for the second phase will be re-evaluated after the first phase of improvements is completed.
The proposal would also earmark more than $4 million for repairs, maintenance and upgrades at the city’s old courthouse on Main Street.
Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley, said the draft plan is an important sign that Hampshire County’s old court facilities are being given attention.
“I think clearly we have needs that need to be addressed, and some of our current facilities are far from ideal,” he said. “So the opportunity to upgrade and address deteriorating infrastructure issues is something that I applaud.”
The only potential downside, Scibak said, would be if the new location meant increased travel times, particularly given the region’s lack of public transportation.
If the draft proposal is finalized, Scibak’s district would see the Franklin-Hampshire Counties Juvenile Court in Hadley moved to Northampton.
The clerk-magistrate for that court, Christopher Reavey, had just come from the brand new Franklin County courthouse in Greenfield when reached by the Gazette.
“It’s nice to have appropriate facilities to serve the public,” he said.
Reavey said his court was originally in Northampton until 2008, when the last major change to Hampshire County’s courts took place. It was then that the Eastern Hampshire District Court was, at long last, moved from Route 9 in Hadley to State Street in Belchertown.
“I think it would be wonderful,” Reavey said of the proposal to build a consolidated court center in Northampton. “It’s great to have a justice center for the community that is easily accessible by the public and that promotes confidence in the judicial system.”
The first five-year phase of the 20-year plan prioritizes building new courthouses in Boston and Quincy, as well as critical repairs and modernization to other locations that are in most desperate need of attention.
Elsewhere in the Pioneer Valley, the draft plan includes major renovations and expansion of Holyoke District Court in the second five-year phase. A new medium-sized courthouse is also proposed for Springfield, which the report says would “address operational issues between the Springfield Hall of Justice and the historic Springfield courthouse.”
The report is just a draft, however, and has now been opened for public comment.
Those wishing to comment should email their comments on letterhead with their address or organization by Friday, May 26, to MP.Public.Comments@jud.state.ma.us.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.