Curran: Move government offices from Boston to Springfield

April 21, 2021 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

City Councilor Sean Curran (center) was joined by colleagues Michael Fenton, Gumersindo Gomez and Justin Hurst as well as building owner Evan Plotkin for an announcement about moving state offices to Springfield.
Reminder Publishing photo by G. Michael Dobbs

SPRINGFIELD – City Councilor Sean Curran believes the new ways of working popularized during the pandemic could mean the decentralization of state offices with relocation to Springfield a boon to the city.

Curran announced the idea at the press conference on April 15. He was joined by fellow councilors Michael Fenton, Justin Hurst and Gumersindo Gomez. Building owner and realtor Evan Plotkin also attended    

Curran is sending the following letter to Gov. Charlie Baker: “I congratulate you on the forward thinking leadership that your office displayed in retaining a consultant to reorganize the state's workforce post Covid-19.

“It might be an historic opportunity to reimagine Downtown Springfield as well.

“Springfield is facing the fight of its life in a post Covid-19 era.  

“Restaurants and coffee shops are struggling to hang on.  A lot of downtown eateries are dependent upon courthouse employees, a few banks, and a couple of non-profits for customers.

“With the courthouse temporarily moving to the Eastfield Mall, it’s going to get even more difficult to generate foot traffic.  

“This is why I would ask your administration to consider bringing a state agency to Downtown Springfield.  

“Relocating the Division of Insurance, Division of Professional Licensure or the Department of Transportation would be a game changer for Springfield.

“Massachusetts state employees are now in the era of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and IPhone Facetime.  Clustering all of our state agencies in Boston is no longer necessary in the era of modern communication.

“Moreover, in light of recent conversations on regional equity and expanding economic mobility in communities of color, why are we leasing and managing all of our state offices in the Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and South End neighborhoods?  

“These neighborhoods are among the wealthiest zip codes in the commonwealth.

“Springfield makes sense!  

“Springfield sits at the crossroads of New England, along what has been coined as the Knowledge Corridor, represented by a skilled workforce of 100,000 students in our region.  Our office space is affordable, and home ownership will be far more attainable in Western Massachusetts for state employees than in Boson.

“Once again, I thank you for your efforts to bring the state’s workforce into the 21st Century, however; I respectfully request that as you reorganize state agencies, use this opportunity to help solve other modern issues such as the state’s responsibility to expand regional equity and economic mobility to communities of color.

“It’s time consider Springfield!”

Curran said the state could save money by relocating an office to Springfield, as leasing rates are far less expensive. Plotkin said Boston rates are between $60 and $80 a square foot as compared to $10 to $20 in Springfield. Plotkin added there is about a half-million square feet of Office A space in Springfield.

Gomez said, “This is a fabulous opportunity we have in Springfield.”

Such a move would address regional equity issues Fenton and Hurst both said.

Curran said he wants to invite the consultant hired by the Baker Administration to examine a reorganization of state employees to Springfield.

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