Bill Whelan, a realtor at ATMC.
Staff Writer It’s been two months since Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift cut the ribbon to open the Advance Technology and Manufacturing Center in Fall River and the halls of the 60,000-square-foot building remain empty. And while signs of lingering construction work are visible, it remains unclear whether the new facility will spur the kind of economic development and job creation that proponents of the project had hoped for.
Built as the anchor in the redevelopment of the 33-acre former Kerr Mill site, 50 percent of the building is expected to be occupied by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, with the rest of the space being leased out to private companies conducting research, development and engineering.
But only two months into its operation, UMass officials are struggling to find ways to offset a $600,000 cut in state funding, and the other half of the building shows little sign of life.
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"We have funding to carry us through the end of this fiscal year (June 30)," said Maeve Hickok, a spokesperson for UMass Dartmouth. "We will be doing some hiring and are currently working on appropriations for the next fiscal year with the legislature. We want to emphasize that Massachusetts clearly has had some budget challenges, but this remains a priority both with state legislators and with the business community so we are going forward with enthusiasm."
Owner of the building, and UMass’s landlord, Mass. Development, a quasi-public economic development agency, is equally optimistic that it will find businesses to occupy its half of the building.
"We have talked to a number of companies about the space," said Chris Keily, of Mass. Development. "Because we are in the beginning of the process we can’t reveal who these companies are, but we are confident that this is going to be a tremendous economic engine for the entire region and for the state."
The ATMC is supposed to be the foundation of the South Coast Research and Technology park located along the banks of the South Watuppa Pond. Developers had hoped that the entire park would create close to 600 new jobs for the city. Plans for a second building on the site are on hold.
Proponents of the ATMC, including its director Roy W. Miller, still believe that, despite the apparent setbacks, the center will be successful.
"This is much like starting a new company," Miller said. "We are still in the process of establishing our foundation. We have to make sure that the infrastructure is in place before we move to the next level."
But in order to move to the next level, Miller concedes he will need funding past the close of this fiscal year on June 30.
"This is not just if we can get funding, but how and when," he said. "Without funding we have no staff and without staff this building is just bricks and mortar."
For now Miller is moving forward with his mission to let local industries know how they can benefit from the center.
"We are a very specialized center that incorporates a lot of disciplines," he said. "We need to convince industry that they will have the opportunity to use university faculty and knowledge to promote their own economic development. We think it’s a win-win situation."
So does the Fall River Office of Economic Development (FROED).
"I think it means quite a lot for the city of Fall River," said Ken Fiola Jr., vice president of FROED. "Over the last few years we have been trying to diversify our economic base and as part of that have focused on two things: strengthening our manufacturing center and bringing in new service sector businesses. This does both."
Fiola seems worried that the current economic slowdown – and its impact specifically on the technology industry – might make it difficult to find tenants for the space not occupied by UMass.
"We here in Fall River been running counter to the national trend," Fiola said. "Our unemployment rate is at a historic low and we have new businesses moving into the area. I am not sure if the progress is driven by real estate prices, land availability, available labor, or a combination, but we have had a very successful 2001. As a result of that I don’t see us having any problems."
