SPRINGFIELD – On the seventh floor of Springfield Technical Community College’s Scibelli Hall yesterday, members of the western Mass. delegation of the House of Representatives assembled to join Speaker Robert DeLeo in introducing an $80 million new economic and jobs legislation.
DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, was joined by Rep. Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee), the chair of the House’s Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, who spearheaded the legislation. Wagner said the bill builds upon the $53 million economic development proposal made Gov. Deval L. Patrick in April.
Deemed by the Speaker as “multifaceted and comprehensive”, the bill seeks to revitalize western Massachusetts on the industrial and housing fronts.
“The most important thing to me is the creating and retaining of jobs,” said DeLeo, who has held the Speakership since 2009. “It is vital that we work to make sure that the area beyond 495 is thriving.”
DeLeo said that he knew an economic development bill would be in the works at the start of this session.
“I was determined and stated in my remarks that we broaden the circle of success throughout all of Massachusetts,” he said. “We are only a stone’s throw from four of the Commonwealth’s 20 gateway cities. This is a region replete with possibility, and I’m excited about how this bill will unlock that potential.”
Diversifying the Commonwealth’s economic agenda has been stated as a top priority for House leadership, and DeLeo said the bill would serve to “offer opportunities to residents of all skillsets, across a variety of industries” in “regions of the state that, too often, get overlooked.”
The bill will set several initiatives in motion, including the $10 million investment in the new Transformative Development Fund to support residential, commercial, industrial and institutional development in gateway cities like Westfield.
Two existing housing programs – the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund and the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) – will also see additional funding, with $5 million going to the Fund.
HDIP will see the elimination of a cap on the number of units permitted for development, and will double their existing tax credits to $10 million over the next four years.
Additional funds of $1.5 million will go to the Working Cities Challenge, a public-private initiative which is partnered with the Boston Federal Reserve Bank to “advance cross sector collaboration and create “lasting economic improvement.”
The Brownfields Redevelopment Fund will also see a $10 million boost to help it further spur development of currently vacant and underused properties statewide.
“With headlines in paper’s such as The Wall Street Journal trumpeting a ‘manufacturing comeback,’ we want to build on some of the positive trends that are already making Massachusetts a leader,” he said. “In the coming years, experts say that there will be 1 million more American tech jobs than there are computer sciences graduates to fill them.”
Wagner spoke of the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN), another public-private partnership which will receive $1.5 million from the bill and utilize a “dollar for dollar” system for development and implementation of a program for “widespread, progressive computer science education in public schools.”
“Back when many of us were going to school we heard ‘reading, writing, and arithmetic.’ Now, it’s computer science, particularly if you want to create jobs in this region and across regions of this Commonwealth,” Wagner said. “In gateway cities, in underperforming districts, we want to get into those districts. We think there are great opportunities through that program to develop skilsets to assist employers who employ people in the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
“It’s excellent. Anything we can do, and any time we can bring back to the great city of Westfield, we all win,” said Rep. John Velis (D-Westfield). “That’s our job – mine and Senator (Don) Humason’s – to go down to Boston when a bill comes up like this, when it’s introduced, and to zealously advocate Westfield’s cause.”
Velis stated that he has spoken at length with Wagner regarding Westfield’s status as a gateway city and a key beneficiary of the bill.
“Westfield is going to be taken care of in this bill, and I think it’s great,” he said before praising the efforts taken by DeLeo. “We have a Speaker who, in my opinion, cares more about western Mass. than any previous Speaker of the House, and it’s showing with bills like this.”
Also on hand for the announcement was Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, who shared the excited sentiment of all present.
“On all mayors’ minds are robust job growth and certainly this is a great step forward in that and affordable housing, as well,” he said.
Additional funds being put forth in the bill include $15 million for the Middle Skills Job Training Grant Fund for grants to vocational-technical schools and community colleges to support advanced manufacturing and information technology training, as well as $2 million for the Talent Pipeline Initiative.
Created in the 2012 economic development law, the initiative matches stipends for interns at start-up companies and mentoring opportunities for entrepeneurs.
$750,000 is also being given for an Early College High School Grant Program that will foster partnerships between regional school districts and public colleges and universities.
Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D-Lenox) said the bill is important to the residents of his rural district, many of whom commute and work in the gateway cities of Westfield, Pittsfield and Springfield.
“I think a key thing is the gateway cities. Pittsfield is gateway city and the hub of Berkshire County, and if the hub is strong, the spokes on the hub will stay strong,” said Pignatelli, who represents the Hampden County hilltowns of Blandford, Russell, and Tolland within his 4th Berkshire District. “This is an exciting opportunity to solidify these hubs and provide opportunities for them.”
The bill also expands the state’s Pension Reserve Investment Management (PRIM) board’s ability to invest at $150 million in institutions that make capital available to small businesses and early-stage companies, and gives $1.5 million for MassVentures, an organization which funds Massachusetts early-stage startups deemed “high-growth.”
In addition, the bill will create an Angel Investor Tax Credit, which makes businesses tax-credit eligible after receiving a qualifying angel investment.
