Baltimore recommends closure of 3 city courthouses, citing indications of Legionella

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The Baltimore City Mayor’s Office has recommended the closure of three Baltimore City courthouses after water quality testing results indicated elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in the facilities.

UPDATE: Three city courthouses to be closed Monday and Tuesday after positive Legionella tests

The City of Baltimore in a news release Friday said the recommended closure of the Baltimore City District Courthouse on Fayette Street and the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse and Elijiah E. Cummings Courthouse on Calvert Street is not related to a public health or safety concern. Rather, the recommended closure will allow the facilities to conduct cleaning, system maintenance and other mitigation efforts to address the presence of Legionella bacteria in the buildings.

The Maryland Department of Health does not require closure, but the recommendation comes “out of an abundance of caution,” the city said.

District Judge leadership and the court administrator will make the ultimate decision regarding closure.

RELATED: District courthouses in Baltimore join list of facilities with Legionella bacteria

“The safety and well-being of our staff, the public, and everyone who relies on the services of the Circuit Court must always be our top priority,” said Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk Xavier A. Conaway in a statement. “While the decision to close the affected courthouses lies outside the authority of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, I strongly support the closure of the Elijah E. Cummings and Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouses on Friday, December 20, 2024 to begin immediate remediation of the water systems.”

Conaway said swift and decisive action is needed in response to the findings.

Testing in the Baltimore City District Courthouse and Mitchell Courthouse occurred on Dec. 9, with results received Thursday afternoon. Testing for the Cummings Courthouse occurred on Dec. 12 and results were received on Friday, according to the city.

The Cummings MECU building was also tested on Dec. 12, according to the city, with Friday’s results showing “extremely low levels of legionella,” where it was determined the building does not require a closure recommendation. The Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk’s office said water testing at the Juvenile Justice Center revealed no presence of Legionella bacteria.

The city says it conducted “proactive” testing after concerns were raised in other state and federal government facilities in downtown Baltimore.

Legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a rare and severe form of pneumonia, and can spread in the plumbing and HVAC systems of large buildings.

In recent months, the bacteria has also been found at the State Center complex and at 200 St. Paul Place in Baltimore, a downtown office building that houses the Maryland Attorney General’s Office (and The Daily Record, among other companies).

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had to close its headquarters in Woodlawn for about two months after a Legionella detection, and the Social Security Administration’s headquarters just down the road turned off water fixtures because of the bacteria’s presence, according to an August report from the Federal News Network, which caters to federal agency managers.

The bacteria can be common in office buildings, according to a 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine.