Contrary to the belief of some upstaters, Bristol County, Mass. is not at the “end of the universe,” but instead may in fact be at the end of an economic pipeline that is breathing life into an area once so dependent upon textiles and the fishing industry.
Bristol County is buzzing with activity.
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According to representatives at Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development, a non-profit public planning agency, the area is in the midst of several developments, including Taunton’s Myles Standish Industrial Park, the UMass Dartmouth Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center in Fall River, and the New Bedford Oceanarium.
Steve Smith, executive director of the agency, said these developments are a sign that the area is not as remote as some people used to think.
“The Boston and Route 128 people were quoted as saying Taunton was at the end of the universe,” he said.
Quite the contrary. Taunton has just received a $1.2 million grant to fund Phase III of Myles Standish Industrial Park, which Smith said has been hailed as the most successful publicly funded industrial park in the U.S. An embarkation camp in World War II, the area — which was subsequently a mental hospital — generates $3.5 million in tax revenue each year.
Richard L. Shafer, executive director of Taunton Industrial Development Commission and the Taunton Development Corporation, said four companies are slated to build on 82 acres of the 156-acre Phase III area. He could only disclose one of those companies; Perkins Paper Company, which has been a 15-year tenant on another parcel of the park. The company will add up to 180 new jobs on top of the 323 it already has. Myles Standish Industrial Park employs about 7,000 people at its 80 businesses, which include General Dynamics, Kopin Corporation, Verizon, and Pepsi Cola.
Shafer said the park is almost full.
“It’s really sort of a happy problem that we’re limited on vacant property in Phase II and Phase III,” he said. “There are just a few lots left.”
Fall River is having similar success with its redevelopment of the former Kerr Mill site. Severely damaged by a fire in 1988, the UMass Dartmouth Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center is slated for a September grand opening in its place.
Ken Fiola, executive vice president of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, said he has been contacted by at least half a dozen companies looking to locate next to the center, which will be used by UMass faculty and graduate students for classrooms and project-specific research and design purposes.
There will also be 25,000 square feet of incubator space for businesses in beginning stages, that can “tap into the educational expertise of UMass,” said Fiola, and the businesses looking to locate next to the facility are also eager to establish relationships with the graduate students.
“We’re very excited,” said Fiola. “The project is going to be a very strong asset to the emerging economy. It will continue to allow for solidification of our industrial base, and will also help us with diversification of economy through the introduction of new and different types of business initiatives.”
Another new business initiative that is energizing Bristol County is the $95 million New Bedford Oceanarium. It will not open until 2004, but a lot of activity has happened this past spring, and demolition will probably begin this fall. Renovating an old power plant into one of the largest aquariums in the world is not exactly something that can be done in a few months.
Chairman and CEO of the Oceanarium, Bill Whelan, said there will be about 400,000 gallons of water in the Oceanarium, and it will feature species from the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, which is part of the reason the project will take so long.
“It’s a two-year project,” said Whelan. “It will take a year and a half to build and at least six months to acclimate the animals. We’re on schedule.”
Whelan said the project had been under consideration for about seven years, but only was taken seriously about two years ago. The Oceanarium has hired a public relations director, and is in the final interview sessions with a chief operating officer and a development director.
“We’re expanding six employees, and then expanding quickly to 12,” said Whelan. “Within a year we should be up to over 100 employees.
“We’re looking at a $95 million project right now and it will change this whole area,” he said. “It’s like nothing you’ve seen around here.”
Other highlights for southeastern Massachusetts thus far this year include:
- The City of New Bedford received National Park designation from the Federal Park System.
- Greater Fall River Development Corporation purchased 574 acres formerly occupied by Commonwealth Electric, now called NStar, in Freetown.
- The City of Fall River signed a memorandum of understanding with the state to do a land swap to help the state acquire 3,800 acres in East Fall River for a bio-reserve.
