Westwood Station to get state boost

By Casey Ross, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick's administration will spend up to $55 million on public works improvements to jump start construction of Westwood Station, one of the region's largest and most controversial private developments near the heavily-traveled interesection of Interstates 93 and 95.

The funding will finance a new exit off I-95 as well as a local road into the development site, both of which are intended to improve access and placate neighbors and critics worried about nearby streets being flooded with cars.

"Not only will these improvements set the stage for the Westwood development, they are also important transportation upgrades for that region," said Gregory Bialecki, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development.

Bialecki and state Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan detailed the state's committment in a letter they sent Tuesday to Westwood Station developer Cabot Cabot & Forbes, which plans to build more than 3 million square feet of stores, offices and homes near the Westwood-Canton line.

The project has been on hold due to financial concerns, but the state's letter indicates that funding for the transportation upgrades is conditioned on the developer starting construction on at least a portion of the project this year.

Cabot Cabot & Forbes could not be reached for immediate comment, but earler this week an executive at the firm told the Globe he is confident it can begin work in the coming months.

The Patrick administration's financial commitment follows a decision by the state's highest court this week to reject a legal challenge to the project from the town of Canton, which said the development will fill its streets with 55,000 cars every day, while sending all the tax proceeds from the development to the town of Westwood.

In its letter, the administration urged Cabot to continue working with Canton officials, and come up with additional traffic improvments to prevent cars from backing up on the town's streets.