New Judicial Center — Second Rate Work for First Rate Money
Flooding, falling ice, faulty welds and overgrown weeds are not a good omen.
We live in a city full of old and venerable buildings. Many have stood the test of time and now stand as testament to history.
There are structures in Salem that have endured from the seventeenth century and from each succeeding century since. The House of the Seven Gables goes back to 1668. The Derby House was built in 1762. Old Town Hall dates back to 1816-17.
Each of those buildings have two things in common. The first is they were built to last. Care was taken in their design and construction so as to ensure they would withstand the ravages of time. Secondly, later in their history, someone stepped forward with the intent of furthering their existence for future generations.
On the middle stretch of Federal Street we have four buildings that house or have housed different aspects of our judicial and legal system over the last 170 years. The first, the County Commissioners Building was built in 1841. 1862 brought the construction of the Superior Court and the Registry of Deeds was built in 1909. The new J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center opened in 2011.
Anyone want to take a guess which of those four buildings stands the best chance of being only a memory 100 years from now?
When exactly did it become standard for public works projects to be conducted on a sub-standard level?
The 1970s saw a lot of new buildings go up here in Salem. The new Central Fire Headquarters, the High School, Bates School and Witchcraft Heights School all come to mind. Each of these structures were victims of shoddy construction practices that resulted in problems early in their existence. The three schools in particular required repairs and renovations that cost millions of dollars.
It would seem that we learned nothing from that experience.
The new judicial center showed signs of its future when a worker was nearly killed in 2010 by a fallen exterior wall panel. As a result ot that accident, 154 of the 576 exterior wall panels were removed and re-installed.
Fast forward to 2012 and we have had sewerage backups that occurred days after the building opened, ice falling from the roof onto the sidewalk, a ramp torn up because it was pitched incorrectly and a bad weld on a cornice that hangs about 80 feet high over the main entrance.
It should also be noted the brand new sidewalk in the back of the judicial center along Bridge Street is also being torn up this week.
Another sign of neglect would be the landscaping on the corner where the law library sits. The weeds are prevailing, some of them having grown to four feet in height and taller. The sod has given way to rocks and dirt. It looks terrible. Why pay for a landscape plan inclusive of plants, bushes and grass if the money will not be there to maintain what you create? A little hot top and some painted rocks would have served better.
$109 million dollars spent and for what? So we can spend more fixing what wasn't done right in the first place?
Somehow I feel that this new courthouse will not endure long enough to warrant discussion at meetings of the Salem Historical Commission.
In This article
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The House of the Seven Gables
115 Derby St, Salem, MA -
Old Town Hall
1 Derby Sq, Salem, MA -
John Dumas
7:46 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Nothing new, We have lost a great deal of capability over the years. The accuracy of the paperwork has taken priority over the finished work. ANY time you see a publicly funded building being built, COMPARE, "The Empire State Building" was built using HAND TOOLS and HORSE CARTS in ONE YEAR 47 DAYS!!!!
roger boulay
7:47 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
is this really a surprise to anyone...as long as citys have to accept the lowest bid on public works projects that's what you will get...there is a reason that one bid can be so much lower than another..lower cost materials and shoddy workmanship...the people that make the decision to hire one contractor or another should really do their homework and not just accept the lowest bid...there is a lesson to be learned here ...bates, witchcraft and salem high have all needed extensive renovations after only 20 or 25 years...not to mention saltonstall...
Jared Robinson
8:15 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I'm curious here... there seems to be a pretty solid record of any city engineering efforts being mismanaged here. I'm not sure if this falls under the city engineer or not, but there are a multitude of infrastructural problems in this city that are either being overlooked or not managed properly to completion.
roger boulay
8:24 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
welcome to salem...
Josh Turiel
8:55 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
We've messed things up in the city at times, but the Judicial Center was an entirely state project. The city didn't really have anything significant to do with it.
Don Nadeau
8:36 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Isn't there qualification language in regulations for public bids? "Lowest qualifying bid" or "most conforant to specs"? And isn't security required? Witholding payment for each phase until it passes inspection? Interview an inspector, if you want an earful. And doesn't the public appropriations system allow for the longer view? Or does the nature of politics force shortsightedness.
Donna
8:56 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I completely agree with Mr. Legault's sentiments, but I'm confused about the responsive references to CITY oversight--the courthouse was a STATE project, wasn't it?
chester suchecki
9:32 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
its called hands in pockets of government. you want the bid for the courthouse make sure the envelope is very fat. i cant wait for the new parking garage to be built and witness te problems thats going to have in the future.
John Smith
9:51 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I don't even.. understand... why are there a bunch of columns holding up what looks like the wing of a spaceship protruding from the building?
I wish these people would just look at some of the other nice buildings we have and build the new ones like that.
Bryan Karsis
12:35 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
It's postmodernist architecture, that's why. A cornice (spaceship wing) supported by fluted columns are visually suggestive of the façade of the Registry of Deeds next door.
john
8:13 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
The columns are not stone and if you tap on them they sound hollow.
John Smith
11:30 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Well.. I suppose what I meant was something more like "Why did they opt for this postmodern design rather than choosing something that would not look silly?"
William Legault
1:08 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
The new ramp at the courthouse entrance was completed this morning. There is a crew poring the concrete for the sidewalk on Bridge Street this afternoon. Two photos are posted.
Diane H
4:15 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
no surprise......can't wait to see what things look like 5 years down the road...very sad!
roger boulay
5:17 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
it doesn't matter if it's municipal, county, state or federal...it's still being paid for with tax $$$$ and that comes out of everybodys pocket....
Cwheels
7:58 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
I don't believe sod was ever installed in that corner. I think what your looking at is an attempt at landscaping using native plants. When done correctly it should flourish with little maintenance and become an attractive green space. Maybe they should have another go at it.
William Legault
11:21 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The entire corner, from the Federal Street side of the library (old church) to the North Street side is grass which ends by the stoplight at the bottom of the overpass. The native plants begin at the same spot where the grass ends. Those native plants that were put in are being choked out by native weeds which in some cases are now as tall (or short) as I am.
William Legault
10:38 am on Saturday, September 29, 2012
Just though I should post an update on this.
Yesterday morning there was a five man crew, all in yellow slickers removing weeds from the landscaped area around the courthouse. As I walked by this morning every weed, from the smallest to the tallest had been removed from the Federal Street corner all the way up to the area at the top of the overpass.