BOSTON — Framingham officials took to the State House on Friday to celebrate progress on a regional justice center and to raise a new flag that recognizes Framingham’s status as a city.
Mayor Charlie Sisitsky signed over the former Danforth Art Museum building on Union Avenue to the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance in order to make way for construction of a regional justice center.
The plan has been a key project for state Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland. It calls for the closing of the existing Framingham courthouse at 600 Concord St. (Route 126), with those operations moving to a new regional justice center to be constructed at the former Danforth Museum site at 123 Union Ave.
Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, seated, signs over the Danforth Building property to the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance on Friday in state Senate President Karen Spilka’s office at the State House in Boston, Jan. 3, 2025.
‘Total overhaul’: Former Framingham museum building eyed for as many as eight courts
A regional justice center would be more than just a replacement for the Framingham District Court building, which was built in 1952. It would also serve as the base for as many as eight local and state courts, according to Sisitsky and Spilka. Those courts are currently spread throughout the region. For example, the Framingham Housing Court is in Marlborough.
“It will house not only the district court, but the housing court, the juvenile court and specialty courts all under one roof, under one location,” Spilka said. “The Framingham Housing Court will be in Framingham, where it belongs.”
Spilka, Sisitsky cite project as economic driver for Framingham
Both Spilka and Sisitsky described the Danforth building as being in rough shape and aging. Besides housing the Danforth Museum (which merged with Framingham State University in 2018), the building has been used as a public school and had several other tenants before it was closed in 2016 due to a failing heating system. The building, which is more than 100 years old, has been vacant ever since.
Spilka and Sisitsky also noted that the Danforth building’s downtown location can be an economic driver for the city, given its proximity to both MWRTA bus service and a Commuter Rail station.
“It was a no-brainer to think what that could mean to the economic vitality of downtown Framingham and the city of Framingham altogether,” Sisitsky said. “(It’s) no longer a responsibility of ours and guarantee that the new justice center is going to be in downtown Framingham, which will give Framingham a real shot in the arm.”
Framingham gets new flag, seven years later
Before signing off on the Danforth deal, Framingham officials oversaw the raising of a new flag that depicts it as a city.
The new flag reads “City of Framingham” rather than “Town of Framingham.” It hangs in the Great Hall of Flags, which displays flags from each of the state’s 351 cities and towns. The move comes a little more than seven years after Framingham became a city, on Jan. 1, 2018. The previous year, Framingham voters approved the shift from town to city, to be governed by a mayor and city council.
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“We celebrate not just a piece of cloth, but a representation of our values and heritage,” Sisitsky said. “It is a time to reflect on our past achievements and envision the path forward.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who previously served as Salem’s mayor, discussed how rare it is for a mayor to take part in such a ceremony while praising the work of local state reps.
“Not every mayor gets to celebrate and be part of a new flag for their city, so it’s really, really special to be joined by the outstanding delegation that represents Framingham — the Senate President, Jack (Lewis), Priscilla (Sousa), Danielle (Gregoire), always doing amazing work, not only for this community, but for the Commonwealth,” Driscoll said.
Driscoll continued, “It also goes back to our history, places that are special that have contributed to making Massachusetts the best place to raise a family, the best place to live, to work, to be able to age in place with dignity and respect, and Framingham is no stranger to that.”
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham signs over Danforth building for regional justice center