A New DRF! And that would be...?

I received an email today from an aide to state Congressman Richard Neal, announcing plans for a $65-million rehab of the vacant Technical High School building around the corner from me. According to the email, the building will become the state's "backup Disaster Relief Facility (DRF)." The Congressman and Mayor Ryan were supposed to be make the official announcement at 4:00 today in front of the school.

The Springfield Republican announced that it was a "$60 million backup Data Recovery Facility." (The main site of the Massachusetts Division of Information Technology is located in Chelsea.) Another state senator, Thomas Petrolati, called the announcement premature, as the project had not been specified in the state's bond bill now pending. The bill didn't pass this year and there's no guarantee that when it does, the DRF project will be included.

Disaster Relief Facility? Data Recovery Facility? How about Democrat/Republican Fiasco? I'm calling this just another pre-election ploy. The handsome and dignified Technical High School building, vacant and improperly stabilized, its rear wing torn off to make room for the monstrous Federal Court House building next door, has been ignored for over twenty years. If I kept my sidewalk as unshoveled and debris-ridden as the city keeps the high school's, I'd be fined.

An RFP was issued but abruptly--illegally, imho--withdrawn when the state expressed interest in the building last year. Abuttors and neighborhood organizations were not allowed to give any input. Now the mayor and the control board are chirping that, whenever the state spends big bucks, that guarantees that the project will be in everyone's best interests. This from the state that brought us the Big Dig. So why am I not thrilled?