The Hampden County Hall of Justice might soon be renamed for Springfield native Roderick Ireland, the first African-American justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Governor’s Councilor Mike Albano sent a letter to state Rep. Benjamin Swan back in April. He was pushing for the Springfield courthouse to carry the name of the now retired Chief Justice Ireland. Albano hopes the legislation will bring more than just a new name for the building, which is plagued by maintenance problems.

“As someone who is distinguished as Chief Justice Ireland is, you have a courthouse named after him, I’m hopeful that it’ll move the legislature and the governor for either a total rehab of the Hampden County Hall of Justice or a new courthouse, which is what I believe the county needs,” Albano says.

Rep. Swan introduced the bill to rename the courthouse this week. Albano says he’s confident it’ll move quickly through the legislature.