A community springs out of Fort Devens
A NEW COMMUNITY has taken root in Devens, bringing economic growth and prosperity to north central Massachusetts, thanks to a decade of cooperation among federal, state, and local governments.
On May 9, 1996, the US Army closed Fort Devens and turned over 4,400 acres of grounds and facilities to the state. The troops left behind 1,764 empty homes, contaminated soil, unexploded ordnance, and obsolete and crumbling buildings. However, they also left behind a robust utility infrastructure as well as rail lines for industrial access.
The Army's move eliminated more than 7,000 local jobs, of which 2,900 had been filled by civilians from the region. All in all, closing Fort Devens dealt a body blow to north central Massachusetts. The towns surrounding Devens -- Ayer, Harvard, Lancaster, and Shirley -- faced a financial tsunami in the massive redevelopment effort. So the state and the towns came together to craft a common plan that provided a blueprint for developing the land.
Drawing heavily on advice from area residents, the Reuse Plan called for balancing business and job creation with preserving the environment and meeting social needs. The Legislature assigned the job to MassDevelopment, a quasi-public development authority, and appropriated $200 million to support the effort, of which nearly $144 million has been spent. The Army agreed to fund the environmental cleanup.
The result has been a striking demonstration of the benefits of comprehensive planning and collaboration. The Army has cleaned up 324 sites at the base at a cost of $140 million. Today 85 businesses are located in Devens. They range from multinational
A new ''downtown," Devens Common, provides key services and amenities. Built with private funds, the 27-acre, $40 million complex added 11 new businesses to Devens's roster.
While Devens means business, it also thrives thanks to its citizens. The 105 families who purchased onetime officers' quarters have become a strong community voice. These pioneers took a chance on a redevelopment experiment, investing $28 million to buy their homes. There is a proposal to build an additional 1,800 housing units over the next 20 years.
As agreed upon in the blueprint, business development has been balanced with a commitment to preserving the environment. With 2,100 acres of open space -- ranging from New England's only golf course awarded Audubon International's Signature Sanctuary Status to playing fields, hiking trails, federal parkland, and a professional recreation department -- Devens last year drew more than 200,000 visitors.
A growing network of social, educational, and cultural organizations includes a historical museum, the Loaves and Fishes food pantry, transitional housing for veterans, a job corps training center, a day care center, a charter school, and two satellite community colleges.
Of the four largest Army installations closed as a result of the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission process -- Fort Ord and the Sacramento Army Depot in California and Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana are the other three -- only Devens has successfully attracted and retained businesses, achieved substantial environmental cleanup, and created a true community.
Partisan dispute rather than bipartisan agreement all too often characterizes policy debate at the local, state, and federal levels. The closure of a military base can cause economic and social turmoil for communities. But on Beacon Hill, officials of both parties and varied levels of government have worked together quietly for a decade to produce a Massachusetts success story that has become a nationally acclaimed model for revitalizing a region after a base closes.
Robert L. Culver is president/CEO of MassDevelopment, the state's finance and development agency. 
