Presentation Transcript

1. Fort Devens Success through Public Partnership August 25, 2013
2. Background Army training post from 1917 until 1996 Over ___ military and civilian personnel Located in sleepy North Central, MA Victim of 1991 BRAC Mass economy and real estate market weak in early 1990s – impacted Reuse Plan
3. Devens Strengths Located near intersection of 3 major highways Capital investment from Commonwealth of $200M over 20 years LRA (MassDevelopment) is a-political quasi-public agency with broad authority and redevelopment and financing expertise
4. Devens Strengths Special legislation giving MassDevelopment broad municipal powers Operate utilities, provide DPW, education and police and fire One – Stop Comprehensive Streamlined Permitting – permit guaranteed in 75 days, average 54 days
5. Devens Strengths State Environmental Regulators paid for by LRA (not thru DSMOA) and 2 DEP staffers sole-sourced and on site Engaged Congressional delegation EDC granted. Remaining $8M purchase price forgiven Reuse Plan that balances development with open space preservation
6. Devens Successes By 2013, 87 companies chose Devens 25% affordable / veterans housing Over 3,600 people work at Devens Support another 3,700 employees in MA $842M in direct economic impact Supports another $600M in indirect economic impact Total Economic Impact: $1.4Billion Dollars
7. Devens: Lessons Learned Do comprehensive due diligence: Get the best environmental consultants to review/rip apart the EBS Get experienced counsel to negotiate hard Challenge protocols and reports, especially with UXO and pesticides Get the regulators on your side
8. Devens: Lessons Learned Get designated as the LRA and get to OEA before the host communities do Need a fluid, evolving reuse plan that can be changed to reflect market and environmental realities Understand that any remediation required by reuse plan change is on your dime
9. Devens: Lessons Learned Don’t give diverse host communities absolute veto over amending reuse plan Don’t cap housing by arbitrary number – we did: 282 housing units Devens only community in MA locked in to 20 year old master plan
10. Devens: Lessons Learned Resolve disposition issue – what will Devens or your base be? Understand your rights under McKinney-Vento. You can negotiate with homeless provider for alternate location that is better suited for overall redevelopment
11. Devens: Lessons Learned Conveyance Time: Understand the conveyance documents FOSTs vs FOSTLs Understand boundaries if multiple host towns –impacts recording and jurisdiction Environmental Insurance?
12. Devens: Lessons Learned You WILL find unexpected contamination! How you handle will be driven by the market developer in hand? You pay no developer or major issue? You pay in time and legal and consultant fees
13. Devens: Lessons Learned Grant Road Housing EBS showed no environmental issues Discovered air issues in most units in 1998 Negotiated ESCA in 2001 for pesticide and asbestos remediation
14. Devens: Lessons Learned Regulators then hyper-analyzed area delaying development UXO discovered Result – LUCIP Development will occur 16 years late with potential impact to marketability
15. Devens: Lessons Learned DOD may change contract interpretation or cleanup protocol based on new EPA policies or budget constraints Loss of Congressional leadership status hurts negotiating power with DOD