Construction of the trial court complex off Broadway and Pleasant Street is just months away now.
And the “missing link,” a connection to the Superior Courthouse, may be possible after all.
That connection was included in the original plans but was eliminated as construction costs increased. The price tag now without the link is $86 million. Failing to connect the two buildings at this time would be a mistake.
When city officials and downtown interests met to get the latest update on the project, Sen. Marc R. Pacheco disclosed that Governor Deval Patrick had designated $40 million in a bond package for necessary improvements to the Superior Courthouse.
That building still is not completely in compliance with the American Disabilities Act, although access for the handicapped has been addressed.
It was violations of the ADA law that eventually pressured former Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration toward freeing money appropriated by the Legislature for the trial court.
The $40 million also would mean the return of the torch that perched for centuries above the courthouse, but which was taken down and stored after it tilted two years ago and threatened to fall.
Demolition of the former Walgreen’s store on Broadway is scheduled to begin in a few weeks, with actual construction set to begin in the summer. The delay between the two wasn’t fully explained by state officials, and this led some local people, who have seen the trial court project put off many times over the last 20 years, to wonder.
The architectural design indicates that the structure’s outside appearance will be unique and modern, with a glass frontage. Assurances were given that there already is sufficient parking areas, including the parking deck and the city’s new Court Street lot, to accommodate the increased activity the trial court will create.
City Planner Kevin Scanlon’s warning should be heeded, however. He made the point during the meeting that adequate signage pointing to where parking is available must be provided in the downtown area.
All the pieces for this project seem to be in place at last, but when August arrives and if there is nothing going on, Taunton people should demand an explanation. Taunton has been waiting at the altar for so long it’s beginning to wonder if the bride was just kidding.