The new 56,000 s/f Massachusetts Trial Court in Medford is winning rave reviews while setting a new precedent for delivering innovative real estate solutions for public facilities.
Known officially as the Third District Court of Middlesex County, the new courthouse was completed in less than eight months utilizing public-private team collaboration. The newly-renovated courthouse replaces obsolete facilities in the 23-story Cambridge Courthouse, which was plagued by high levels of asbestos.
According to Elaine Construction's Lori Coletti, the need for a fast-moving project schedule was of prime importance to the design and construction team, and to the client. "Our main objective was to deliver a new courthouse as quickly as possible, especially given the health and safety conditions of the old courthouse. The seventy employees of the Third District were the last group needing to be relocated from the distressed Cambridge Courthouse."
The new courthouse at 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway provides three new courtrooms, two jury deliberation rooms, twelve holding cells, administrative offices and public amenities for jurors and visitors. The building also provides modern security, lighting and energy efficient HVAC systems, including sustainable design and energy-saving measures that will provide immediate savings and long-term value.
The search for a suitable location for a new courthouse led to a public-private collaboration and agreement and a unique project delivery process. The state leased the former commercial building from owner CC Industries Realty Trust, an affiliate of The Cross Country Group, for an initial a five-year term. CC Industries provided turnkey design and construction management. This allowed the project to move quickly and provided the team with great flexibility to meet the needs of the court's end users - a critical component to the project's success.
Fulfilling the needs of the judges, attorneys, court officers, staff and public is a complex challenge, due to the unique security, safety and operational requirements of a bustling courthouse. According to Sidney Wolk of CC Industries Realty Trust, "The project team engaged the courthouse judges and staff in an ongoing dialogue to understand and accommodate their program and security needs. Visnick & Caulfield, Elaine Construction, Fort Point Project Management and other team members made sure all tenant needs were accommodated in a way that makes the new courthouse superbly functional and safe."

In a review of the new courthouse facilities published March 30 in Lawyer's Weekly, the new space in Medford was given an overall grade of A. Its employees and visitors agree, based on the responses heard over the first two months since the move.