By Rick Sobey, Boston Herald
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday announced a $2.6 billion capital plan to “support economic recovery and growth” as Massachusetts emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
The plan addresses the Bay State’s “housing crisis” and also provides support for the public higher education system — including $87 million for five new major capital projects at colleges and universities.
“It will create more training opportunities for students to access high-demand fields,” Baker said at Bridgewater State University, which under the plan will receive $25 million for a renovation project at the College of Education and Health Sciences.
“It will strengthen our transportation system to support people who are returning to work,” the governor added of the capital plan. “And it will fund more housing as we help our communities recover in a post-pandemic world.”
The last year-plus has reinforced the importance of housing stability and affordability, Baker said.
“We have a housing crisis that’s existed here for many years,” he added. “A big part of it is we don’t build enough supply to keep up with demand. That drives up prices.”
The capital plan builds on the administration’s goal to increase the production of mixed-income and affordable housing. The plan provides $146 million for the production and preservation of affordable housing including $5 million for housing choice grants, as well as $110 million to support state-aided public housing.
For transportation, the plan includes: $200 million for the Chapter 90 Program for local road and bridge repairs; $10 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program; $10 million for the Complete Streets Program; and $4 million for the Shared Streets and Spaces Program, which was started during the pandemic to help municipalities and businesses adapt their operations.
In addition to the Bridgewater State University project, the other higher education capital projects include: new and renovated science labs at Mass. Maritime Academy; a partial renovation of labs at the Danvers campus of North Shore Community College to create a Life Science Pathways Center; a partial renovation of the Medical School Building at UMass Medical to create spaces for integrated teaching and learning; and a renovation at Quinsigamond Community College to create an innovation center for advanced manufacturing and robotics.
The capital plan also invests in climate change, public safety, information technology, state assets and other infrastructure across Massachusetts.
Baker said, “We’re focused on using every tool we have available at our disposal to power our recovery, and to support equitable growth across the Commonwealth.”