Massachusetts Trial Courts
High levels of asbestos and other contamination in the 23-story Cambridge Courthouse building forced a phased relocation of 350 employees and all courthouse functions, starting in 2006. The last 70 employees in the distressed building worked for the Cambridge Division of the District Court Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court, a civil and criminal trial court that is the public face of the state’s busiest county judicial system. The search for a suitable location for the courthouse facility led to a public-private collaboration and agreement and a unique project delivery process. A lease was negotiated between the owner and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where the owner provided turnkey design and construction management allowing the project to move quickly and providing the team with great flexibility to meet the needs of the end user, which was a critical component to project success.
Architect: Visnick & Caulfield