$20M
OK’d To Expand UML Arena
If governor signs off, big boost seen for downtown Lowell economic development
By Robert Mills If governor signs off, big boost seen for downtown Lowell economic development
rmills@lowellsun.com
LOWELL — A $1.3 billion bond-authorization bill sent to the governor’s desk by Statehouse leaders contains approval to borrow $20 million to expand the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, a move leaders say could be a big victory for economic development in downtown Lowell.
The bond authorization, which allows the governor to borrow the $20 million, would enable UMass Lowell to add a practice ice rink to the arena, and the rink space would double as convention space when not in use by hockey teams.
UML Chancellor Marty Meehan said the university has been planning for such an expansion, which will also include practice space for basketball teams and renovated and expanded locker rooms, since the university became a Division 1 school.
Plans call for the addition to add roughly 50,000 square feet to the Tsongas Center, and the practice rink could even be used for public skating at times.
“This is a major expansion of the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell,” Meehan said. “It’s critically important because of our ascension into Division 1.”
It is the additional space for conventions and trade shows that could mean the most to the City of Lowell.
“This is great news, because one of the things we want to do is attract more conventions to the city, and with this addition, the arena would provide more space that will enable us to attract larger conventions,” said City Manager Kevin Murphy.
Murphy said an expanded arena could even create a need for a hotel near the arena.
“The larger the conventions we can attract, the more need there would be for hotel rooms,” Murphy said.
Meehan agreed, though he said any hotel project would be a private endeavor. The arena expansion would be built between the existing structure and the Merrimack River, while any privatelydeveloped hotel would be on land between the arena and the Ayotte parking garage.
“We believe this expansion will result in a midsized hotel wanting to relocate to lot B next to the Tsongas Center,” Meehan said. “It will create jobs and it will create economic development, economic activity, and spur new growth and buildings near the Tsongas Center.” Meehan said the expansion would also allow for more events at the center, because the main ice would no longer be needed for practices. He said original plans for the arena included a practice rink that was never actually built.
“The building can’t reach its full economic potential without a practice rink,” Meehan said. “You don’t want to have practices or youth hockey leagues playing in a 6,000seat arena. They need to be in a practice rink with 800 seats.”
Meehan said the expansion would make the Tsongas Center “a major center that can attract world-class trade shows and events.”
State Rep. David Nangle and State Rep. Tom Golden came up with the idea for the bond and met with House leaders and Speaker Robert DeLeo to get the authorization added to a $1.3 billion bond bill that gained final passage from the Legislature on Wednesday.
They said they got the idea from another recent bond authorization aimed at expanding and improving the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Golden and Nangle said Meehan joined them for a meeting with DeLeo to push the bond authorization several weeks ago.
Passage of the bond authorization does not guarantee that the project will move forward, though.
Whether the money is actually borrowed is up to Gov. Deval Patrick, or his successor if Patrick leaves office before the money is borrowed. Many of the projects authorized by the bill passed Wednesday will either never be funded or will be funded by whomever replaces Patrick.
Nangle and Golden, both Democrats, said they will work with the city and UMass Lowell now to lobby Patrick to borrow the money before the end of his term. If that doesn’t happen, they will lobby Patrick’s replacement.
There is no deadline to get the money borrowed, though. Once approved by the Legislature, the bond authorization remains in effect forever unless another bill deauthorizes it.
“The governor is always interested in a track record of success, and I think the City of Lowell and UMass Lowell have that track record,” Nangle said. “The biggest question will be whether (Patrick) can do it by the end of the year.”
Meehan said the speed at which the authorization was passed is a testament to Lowell’s Statehouse delegation.
“We are very grateful and impressed with the work of the Lowell delegation on this,” Meehan said.
Other authorizations in the overall bill are $20 million each for House and Senate chamber renovations and repairs, $378 million for state facility improvements, and $312 million for health and human-services facility projects. Not all of the projects authorized by the bill will actually be built. The state is limited in the amount of money it can borrow from year to year and the menu of authorized projects has traditionally been much longer than the list of projects that actually take shape.
Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.
LOWELL — A $1.3 billion bond-authorization bill sent to the governor’s desk by Statehouse leaders contains approval to borrow $20 million to expand the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, a move leaders say could be a big victory for economic development in downtown Lowell.
The bond authorization, which allows the governor to borrow the $20 million, would enable UMass Lowell to add a practice ice rink to the arena, and the rink space would double as convention space when not in use by hockey teams.
UML Chancellor Marty Meehan said the university has been planning for such an expansion, which will also include practice space for basketball teams and renovated and expanded locker rooms, since the university became a Division 1 school.
Plans call for the addition to add roughly 50,000 square feet to the Tsongas Center, and the practice rink could even be used for public skating at times.
“This is a major expansion of the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell,” Meehan said. “It’s critically important because of our ascension into Division 1.”
It is the additional space for conventions and trade shows that could mean the most to the City of Lowell.
“This is great news, because one of the things we want to do is attract more conventions to the city, and with this addition, the arena would provide more space that will enable us to attract larger conventions,” said City Manager Kevin Murphy.
Murphy said an expanded arena could even create a need for a hotel near the arena.
“The larger the conventions we can attract, the more need there would be for hotel rooms,” Murphy said.
Meehan agreed, though he said any hotel project would be a private endeavor. The arena expansion would be built between the existing structure and the Merrimack River, while any privatelydeveloped hotel would be on land between the arena and the Ayotte parking garage.
“We believe this expansion will result in a midsized hotel wanting to relocate to lot B next to the Tsongas Center,” Meehan said. “It will create jobs and it will create economic development, economic activity, and spur new growth and buildings near the Tsongas Center.” Meehan said the expansion would also allow for more events at the center, because the main ice would no longer be needed for practices. He said original plans for the arena included a practice rink that was never actually built.
“The building can’t reach its full economic potential without a practice rink,” Meehan said. “You don’t want to have practices or youth hockey leagues playing in a 6,000seat arena. They need to be in a practice rink with 800 seats.”
Meehan said the expansion would make the Tsongas Center “a major center that can attract world-class trade shows and events.”
State Rep. David Nangle and State Rep. Tom Golden came up with the idea for the bond and met with House leaders and Speaker Robert DeLeo to get the authorization added to a $1.3 billion bond bill that gained final passage from the Legislature on Wednesday.
They said they got the idea from another recent bond authorization aimed at expanding and improving the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Golden and Nangle said Meehan joined them for a meeting with DeLeo to push the bond authorization several weeks ago.
Passage of the bond authorization does not guarantee that the project will move forward, though.
Whether the money is actually borrowed is up to Gov. Deval Patrick, or his successor if Patrick leaves office before the money is borrowed. Many of the projects authorized by the bill passed Wednesday will either never be funded or will be funded by whomever replaces Patrick.
Nangle and Golden, both Democrats, said they will work with the city and UMass Lowell now to lobby Patrick to borrow the money before the end of his term. If that doesn’t happen, they will lobby Patrick’s replacement.
There is no deadline to get the money borrowed, though. Once approved by the Legislature, the bond authorization remains in effect forever unless another bill deauthorizes it.
“The governor is always interested in a track record of success, and I think the City of Lowell and UMass Lowell have that track record,” Nangle said. “The biggest question will be whether (Patrick) can do it by the end of the year.”
Meehan said the speed at which the authorization was passed is a testament to Lowell’s Statehouse delegation.
“We are very grateful and impressed with the work of the Lowell delegation on this,” Meehan said.
Other authorizations in the overall bill are $20 million each for House and Senate chamber renovations and repairs, $378 million for state facility improvements, and $312 million for health and human-services facility projects. Not all of the projects authorized by the bill will actually be built. The state is limited in the amount of money it can borrow from year to year and the menu of authorized projects has traditionally been much longer than the list of projects that actually take shape.
Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.
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2014 lowell sun 07/31/2014
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