Mayor: "Braintree’s Potential Is Limitless"

BRAINTREE, MA - As he reflected on the second anniversary of the pandemic, Braintree Mayor Charles C. Kokoros spoke about several initiatives that will position the town to have an even stronger economic base as it emerges from COVID-19 during his State of the Town speech Wednesday night.

"The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we know it," he said. "And in the days leading up to the two-year anniversary, I feel it is appropriate to reflect and acknowledge the impact this pandemic continues to have on our community, both business and residential."

One of his accomplishments during the pandemic was to organize the administration of nearly 3,00 vaccinations and the booster shots to elders and people in vulnerable populations in the very room in Town Hall where he addressed about 50 attendees.

"What I witnessed firsthand at the vaccination clinics was the elation of so many of our senior residents," Kokoros added, noting it would have been virtually impossible for them to travel to Gillette Stadium or Fenway Park to be vaccinated. "It gave them freedom to embrace their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren once again. This in itself made every extra hour spent at Town Hall so worthwhile, and I am committed to continuing to be a resource and support system for our residents."

One of the biggest goals Kokoros had when he began his administration more than two years ago was improving the school buildings he toured after taking office. The town approved a debt exclusion that allowed for the construction of a new South Middle School building, which is underway and under budget. This is the first new school building for the town in half a century.

"Through our partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, we will receive up to $31 million in assistance to fund the project," he explained. "For the town’s share of the funding, we were able to borrow $50 million at an interest rate of 1.97%, allowing us to reduce the loan from 30 years to 25 years."

Creating master plans for both the school district and the town are priorities Kokoros outlined in his speech. Addressing the condition of the schools became a more urgent need last fall when the high school was unable to open on time because of plumbing problems and drainage issues in the girl's locker room and the kitchen. Currently there is an initiative to combine the town and School Department maintenance departments.

"The proposal, initially put forward by Councilor Steve O’Brien, would allow us to move towards a proactive approach to maintenance using in-house staff instead of the reactionary services often performed by outside vendors," he said.

Kokoros pledged to support the small business community through the creation of a small business advisory council. It will be led by Kay Young, the owner of Kay’s Cans and Bottles in The Landing.

"We have been fortunate to have so many long-standing small businesses make the difficult journey through the effects of COVID-19 and survive," he noted, calling them "the heart and soul of our economy."

"We must continue to support these small businesses and welcome the many new businesses that have opened since the pandemic," Kokoros continued.

Despite the effects of the pandemic, the town has been able to maintain a double A plus bond rating. Certified free cash rose from $2.9 million in 2021 to over $4.7 million today, he said.

One major announcement Kokoros made was that the Town of Braintree has entered into an agreement with the Town of Randolph as part of an application for a Regional Emergency Communication Center grant. If awarded, funding will be provided to create a regional dispatch center for police and fire at 2 JFK Memorial Drive.

"This building has sat vacant since the Water and Sewer Department moved their offices nearly two decades ago," he said. "Now it has the potential to serve as a state-of-the-art communications center, providing dispatch services to Braintree and Randolph residents. We already have a strong working relationship with Randolph through the Tri Town Water District, and the creation of a Regional Emergency Communications Center will serve to strengthen that relationship while allowing us to redevelop this historic building for an essential purpose."

Kokoros also discussed the redevelopment of other Braintree landmarks. On Thursday, an agreement will potentially be finalized with a developer who intends to purchase the former site of Motel 6 for retail use.

"We can all agree that this property has presented a unique series of challenges to the town, our residents and the property’s ownership," he said. "I have spent numerous hours with the owners in order to clean up the site and bring new life to the location, and I am optimistic about the site’s future.

"This property sits at a main entrance point to Braintree," Kokoros stressed. "Once sold, I promise you that my staff will work expeditiously to facilitate the permits to allow for the long-awaited revitalization of this location to serve the needs of our community."

Another key redevelopment project that will position Braintree to be a competitor in the biotech industry is the former site of the Massachusetts State Lottery Building at 60 Columbian St. Currently in the permitting stage, Banner Park will be a new 275,000 square foot high-tech manufacturing and logistics campus.

"This development will be one of the largest build-to-suit opportunities in the Greater Boston area to attract biotech manufacturing, medical device, robotics and logistic companies in a modern campus setting," Kokoros said. The site will also include a new Mass General Brigham facility as well as a dog park.

In the aftermath of January's shooting at South Shore Plaza where a man was killed, the mayor worked with the mall's management to implement four new elevated mobile security towers to monitor parking areas. Additional security patrols have been added as well as other safety measures.

Affordable housing was another issue Kokoros is addressing so that Braintree can meet the state's 10% affordable housing requirement. At least 25% of Windjammer Cove will be converted to affordable units. This, he said, will enable all 73 units to be considered as part of the town's subsidized housing inventory, bolstering its affordable housing percentage over 9.5%.

"It is imperative that we continue to promote and integrate affordable housing within our community," he said. "With that in mind, I have proposed an inclusionary housing ordinance that would require multi-family units of six or more to provide affordable units. This inclusionary housing will, among other things, make sure that our inventory of existing and proposed affordable housing is preserved and maintained."

Kokoros thanked Braintree residents for their perseverance through the pandemic.

"Braintree’s potential is limitless, and we all play a part in our success," he said. "I consider myself lucky to have grown up and raised my family here in the town of Braintree, and it is a privilege to serve as your mayor."