~Photo by William Tauro By William Tauro The Middlesex County Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse located at 40 Thorndike St. in East Cambridge is up for sale. Built in 1971 the building is outdated and in desperate need of costly repairs that involve a major undertaking of asbestos removal as well other well needed costly repairs and updates throughout the building. It has been almost two years since the Middlesex Superior Court was forced to relocate from the ill building to it's new temporary home at Cummings Properties in Woburn as well as for the Cambridge District Court that also occupied the high rise, was forced to relocate it's court rooms to Medford.

In lieu of the astronomical estimated costs of repairing the building, the state will be accepting bids for the sale of the East Cambridge high rise from prospective buyers in the next few months.

Over 400 prisoners still occupy the top cell block designated floors of the high rise and will have to be relocated to another county facility as soon as alternate living quarters for the inmates are found.

With a recession in place and real estate values plummeting across the state,the once $50 million price tag appraised in 2007 for the property will have to be reconsidered and reduced for fair market value in today's real estate market.