SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Charlie Baker believes there is momentum in the economic development scene in Western Massachusetts.

Baker noted a figure cited by Richard Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, of $5.2 billion of economic development happening in the region.

The governor was the keynote speaker at the Western Massachusetts Developers Conference on June 23 at the MassMutual Center. The event drew hundreds of businesspeople from throughout the region.

“We have a lot of tools that we can put to use to help people to pursue opportunities to grow the economy and build downtowns,” he said.

Sullivan read a lengthy list of development projects that have been recently completed or are on-going. They range from a $25 million investment in Argotec, a Greenfield-based company that is creating 100 jobs, to Mohawk Paper in South Hadley with a $2 million investment and 110 jobs to the Cubit Building in Holyoke where the new Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts Program will relocate and operate a restaurant for the public.

To add to that list, Larry Curtis of WinnCompanies announced at the conference a $60 million renovation of another section of the Ludlow Mills that will be designed for mixed use and include market rate housing.

Baker asked the audience to urge the Legislature to pass several bills, including one focuses on economic development in the last month of the General Court’s terms.

He noted this time of year is “when everything happens” in the Legislature.

One of the bills would  fund efforts to build the Commonwealth’s capacity for hydropower and wind power, which he said is especially important in Western Massachusetts.

He described the thrust of the economic development bills as being “more about life outside of [Interstate] 495.” The bills would reauthorize MassWorks that has been used to create public/private partnerships.  

Baker also stressed the importance of providing opportunities to improve the skills of workers in the Commonwealth

“The biggest thing we can invest in an economic development bill is the people of Massachusetts,” he said.

At a press conference following his remarks, Baker said he hopes the bills concerning economic development don’t get lost in the final weeks of the term, especially in light of the final development and passage of the Commonwealth’s FY17 budget.

“There’s no question the budget issues are going to require more time and attention than people originally anticipated,” he said.

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