BOSTON – On Feb. 8, Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) joined her colleagues in voting to authorize up to $3.65 billion in bonds for repairs and improvements of capital facilities across the Commonwealth. Spending authorizations in the bill include bonds for state university and community college campus improvements, public safety and security facilities and clean energy and efficiency programs.
Friedman advocated for and successfully secured funding to benefit projects across the 4th Middlesex, including $1,400,000 for the design and construction of solar facilities at the Minuteman High School in Lexington and $650,000 for the renovation of the Ned O’Brien Ice Rink in Woburn.
“This bill is a representation of important infrastructure projects that will highly benefit cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth,” said Senator Friedman. “With these funds, we will be able to preserve and maintain facilities that are vital to our community. Going forward, I will vocally advocate for these projects and let the Baker administration know how important they are to our district and the state.”
Additionally, the bill authorizes the issuance of bonds for the improvement of capital facilities and for general government operations, including:
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- $680 million for general state facility improvements;
- $675 million for trial court facility improvements;
- $500 million for public safety and security facilities;
- $475 million for state university and community college campus improvements;
- $475 million for the University of Massachusetts system campus improvements;
- $193.4 million for a municipal facility improvement grant program;
- $150 million for the Accelerated Energy and Resiliency program, which develops and implements energy and water savings projects statewide;
- $85 million for the Clean Energy Investment Program to improve the energy efficiency of state-owned facilities.
The bill also increases previous spending authorizations for University of Massachusetts, state university and community college campus facilities.
Further, the bill increases several project supervision, design and construction thresholds for the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, to keep pace with current costs of construction in Massachusetts.
The bill will now be reconciled with a version passed by the House of Representatives.