Last night’s Lowell Sun contained a legal notice from the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) requesting interested parties to submit their qualifications to construct a new judicial center in Lowell. Past newspaper stories have indicated that this proposal will be a “design/build” project where the developer will construct the building and then lease it back to the state. This is intended to get the new building up much more quickly than by using the traditional state building methods. How does this impact the registry of deeds? It’s unlikely we’ll find a new home in the judicial center. Courthouses are extremely expensive to build and the registry really doesn’t need a courthouse-type setting to operate. There is a good chance that we’ll move, it’s just unclear where that might be. To prepare for this possibility, we will start planning now. If you have any suggestions about what features should be included in a new registry of deeds facility, please share them with us.
