As a lawsuit challenging the Springfield Regional Justice Center project gets underway, the state agency that called for project bids has released numerous documents detailing what it considered.
The release comes weeks before attorneys representing USPB JV and Springfield Tower Square, LLC, make their case that the winning bid was tied to various conflicts of interest.
The two developers, as well as the winning "Liberty Junction" team, were among the bidders looking to build a new home for Springfield District Court and Hampden County Superior Court. Also — to secure a 40-year-lease totaling around $2 billion once the developer finishes building the center.
Earlier in July, the state's Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance selected the Liberty Junction group's pitch to build a $600 million courthouse off Liberty Street, near Union Station.
The decision is now being challenged by two competing developers, who allege the process used to pick a new site was riddled with conflicts of interest. The lawsuit specifically names a member of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority who is also part of the Liberty Junction team as well as the husband of Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
In a bid for transparency, DCAMM released a trove of documents this week, detailing each of the bids they considered and their own evaluation process.
The Liberty Junction bid scored high in a May selection committee evaluation and was considered the "best," with accessibility and parking among its highlights. It also offered the lowest lease costs — about $611 million over 40 years.
USPB JV was another top-four pick, though its Dwight Street spot was about a $100 million more expensive. Meanwhile, the Tower Square pitches ranged from $900 million to almost $1 billion.
A hearing for both developers' lawsuit is slated for Aug. 11.
For more on the lawsuit and the courthouse project, listen to WAMC Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief James Paleologopoulos' July 15 discussion with Lucas Willard on the Northeast Report.
