Mass Bay Framingham Campus Not in Baker Administration's Budget

Governor Charlie Baker’s administration did not include the Mass Bay Community College expansion in Downtown Framingham, in its Fiscal Year 2016 capital budget.

The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) released its budget today, June 19.

“This is discouraging news, but not unexpected given the fiscal challenges of the state,” said Mass Bay Community College President John O’Donnell to Framingham Patch in a statement. “We will continue to work with DCAMM and with our legislators to move forward with our plan to bring the MassBay campus to downtown Framingham.”

The community college, with campuses in Wellesley, Framingham, and Ashland, had announced plans to expand its Framingham campus, under former Governor Deval Patrick.

Patrick committed to bringing the expanded community college campus to downtown Framingham and pledged more than $50 million for the project.

MassBay learned of Governor Baker’s Capital Plan for FY2016 this morning, and learned that projects currently in the planning or study phase will be put on “pause,” said a press spokesperson for the college.

Massachusetts Secretary of Education Jim Peyser has assured community college leaders that even if projects are not on the current list or have been “paused,” it does not mean that they will not go forward at a future date.

“The Baker Administration’s capital plan indicates slower progress on the downtown Framingham MassBay campus than expected,” said Framingham State Sen. Karen Spilka, a Democrat, who is also chair of the senate’s Ways & Means Committee. “The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance is continuing its analysis of the project but has not yet completed the required due diligence.”

“My colleagues in the Framingham delegation and I are very eager to get this project built as quickly as possible,” said Spilka. “It is critically important that the new campus for this high-quality educational institution be built in downtown Framingham.”

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin agreed. He said the expansion of the community college is important to both Framingham and MetroWest.

“We will remain in close contact with DCAMM to follow their progress as they work to finish up their feasibility analysis and move the project forward,” said Spilka.

A spokesperson for DCAMM told Framingham Patch that the project is still being considered by the Baker Administration, just not in this budget cycle.

The state put out a request for properties last year and the spokesperson said there was a “robust” response of about two dozen properties. He said the part of the process identifying sites should be completed by the end of this calendar year.

Basically, the Baker Administration wants to identify properties before moving forward with financing, explained the DCAMM spokesperson.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through its Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, in consultation with MassBay Community College, put out a request for proposals for property, in a specific area of downtown Framingham in July 2014. Requests were due to the state by Oct 31, 2014.

One of the properties submitted was the Town Of Framingham municipal building, known as the Memorial Building.

In June 2014,legislators authorized $14 million for MassBay Community College to build a new campus in downtown Framingham.

That additional $14 million brings the state’s total capital contribution to $36 million for the $59 million campus project.

In October 2012, Governor Deval Patrick announced $22 million for the project.

“MassBay is a true partner for the MetroWest region, and we look forward to working together with the college and the Town of Framingham as this project continues,” said Spilka.

MassBay’s new campus will be located near the downtown Framingham commuter rail station and MetroWest Regional Transit Authority bus service, benefiting students and faculty who commute to campus from other parts of the state and bringing new customers to downtown Framingham businesses, restaurants and shops.

The new campus is expected to serve as an anchor institution for downtown Framingham and as a springboard for further economic growth in the area.

The college is currently leasing space in the former Farley School on Flagg Drive across from McCarthy Elementary School and next to Fuller Middle School in Framingham, as a secondary campus. It has a main campus in Wellesley and another smaller campus in Ashland.