Colin A. Young
State House News Service
Gov. Maura Healey stood behind the selection of a bidder with ties to state and national politics to lead Springfield's new regional courthouse project, saying the choice was the best deal for the state's taxpayers.
Two losing bidders sued the state and the winning developer last week seeking to halt the state's planned 40-year lease for the Springfield Regional Justice Center until a judge reviews claims that the procurement violated state law and the project's request for proposals.
The Trial Court, working with the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, provisionally selected a development team that includes Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Interim Executive Director John Barros and the husband of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley for the project expected to open in 2030.
Healey reiterated the health concerns with the aging Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, calling it "a sick building" and saying the city of Springfield "deserve" a new courthouse.
"This was a competitive procurement process. It was a competitive bid, and the project that was chosen was the one that cost the taxpayers the least. I stand up for taxpayers. I'm all about supporting whatever is going to cost the taxpayers the least amount of money, as somebody who wants to protect taxpayer dollars," Healey told reporters Wednesday. "So, you know, that's what this selection resulted in. It was the lowest-cost bid through a competitive bid process, and it was selected by the Trial Court."
Last year, Healey stood by the winning bidder of a contract to redevelop and run 18 service plazas across the state when that award came under scrutiny and later fell apart amid a multi-pronged campaign by a losing bidder to block the deal. The state inspector general's probe of the failed procurement "found too many flaws" in last year's bidding, which Healey had said was "a transparent process."
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance on Tuesday called on the state to halt the courthouse lease plans "until serious questions surrounding the procurement process, potential conflicts of interest, and the politically connected winning development team are fully investigated."