THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING THE OPENING OF THE NEW
TRANSPORTATION CENTER LOCATED IN A TOTALLY RESTORED UNION STATION
IN DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD.
BRINGING THAT HISTORIC BUILDING BACK TO LIFE HAS BEEN A
LONG-TIME DREAM FOR CONGRESSMAN RICHARD NEAL WHO WORKED TO
SECURE ESSENTIAL FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT.
THE CONGRESSMAN JOINED CONNECTING POINT CORRESPONDENT
CAROLEE MCGRATH FOR A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
>> WE ARE JOINED BY CONGRESSMAN RICHIE NEAL TO TALK ABOUT THE
UNION STATION, WHICH IS SOON TO BE OPENED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> NICE TO BE WITH YOU, CARLY.
>> YOU MUST BE EXCITED.
>> I AM THRILLED.
IT HAS BEEN A CAREER MOTIVATION, AND IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A
JOYOUS ONE, I MUST SAY, TO HAVE WITNESSED AND PARTICIPATED IN
THIS LONGSTANDING CHALLENGE, AND NOW TO SEE IT COMING TO
FRUITION, WE ARE PROBABLY BY THE END OF JANUARY, IT'S GOING TO
REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
>> SO TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF UNION STATION FOR
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF IT?
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION
EXPANDED, AND THE GREAT RAILROADS OF AMERICA WERE KIND
OF PUT TO THE SIDELINE.
TRAIN TRANSPORTATION WAS LESS RELIABLE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE,
TOOK A BIT LONGER.
THE INVESTMENT NECESSARY WAS REALLY GOING TO AIRPORS AND
HIGHWAYS.
SO UNION STATION, WHICH HAS THE STARRIED HISTORY DURING THE 90
YEARS IT HAS BEEN AROUND, WAS REALLY THE CENTER OF ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS FOR DECADES.
BUT BEGINNING IN THE 1950s WHEN WE SAW THE DEMISE OF REAL
TRANSPORTATION JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
THE QUESTION BECAME WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CHALLENGE OF
REUSE OF UNION STATION.
IF YOU RECALL THAT'S WHERE MAIL WAS SORTED AND THE BAGGAGE
HANDLERS WORKED AND NOT TO MISS THE POINT THAT THE CHARLES HOTEL
WAS ONE OF THE GREAT LANDMARKS HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS,
AND A NUMBER OF FAMOUS PEOPLE THAT STAYED THERE AND TRAVELED
BY RAIL UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WAS
REMARKABLE.
BUT BY THE TIME THAT WE GOT TO THE LATE 1960s AND EARLY
1970s, RAIL TRANSPORTATION HAD REALLY SUCCUMBED TO COMPETITION,
AND IN 1973, IT CLOSED.
IN 1977, I WAS A CANDIDATE FOR THE 13R50E8D CITY -- SPRINGFIELY
COUNCIL, AND PLEDGED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UPON BECOMING THE MAYOR I MOVED FORWARD WITH A GOOD PLAN FOR
UNION STATION.
AND WE HAD A LAND-TAKING, DUE TO SECURE CONTROL OF THE BUILDING,
AND THERE WERE A SERIES OF STOPS, AND I REGULARLY
PETITIONED CONGRESS FOR REALLY A HANDSOME ASSORTMENT OF EARMARKS
AS THEY WERE CALLED AND ARE CALLED, AND WE ARE GOING TO LOOK
AT A 95 MILLION PROJECT THAT AGAIN I HOPE WILL OPEN
JANUARY 28.
>> SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT AND WHAT'S THE UNION STATION OF 2017
GOING TO BE LIKE?
>> IT HAS BEEN A VERY TASTEFUL RENOVATION.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK INSIDE OF IT, YOU ARE GOING
TO BE STUNNED BY JUST HOW ORNATE IT IS BECAUSE WE BROUGHT BACK
MANY OF THE ARTIFACTS THAT MADE IT SUCH A GLAMOROUS SETTING.
THE CONCOURSE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
THE ORIGINAL FLOOR IS INTACT.
THE CLOCK IS IN THE MIDST OF AND BEING RESTORED.
THE TICKETING IN THE PASSENGER OPERATIONS ARE WELL UNDERWAY,
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BUS DEPOT IS MAKING ITS WAY, AND
IT'S GOING TO BE A TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS.
SO I HOPE THAT THE VIEWER WILL BE EXCITED NOT JUST BY THE
NOSTALGIA THAT IT HAS CREATED BUT ALSO BY THE OPPORTUNITY IT
HAS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT SO YOU SAID 95 MILLION PROJECT,
SOME MAY SAY WOW, THAT'S QUITE A BIT.
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR THE AREA?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE NICE PARTS ABOUT THE STIMULUS PACKAGE IS,
AS MUCH AS IT HAS BEEN DERIDE BY CRITICS, I'M NOT ONE OF THEM AS
YOU KNOW.
BEGINNING IN -- I'M SORRY, BEGINNING IN 2018, YOU ARE GOING
TO HAVE 10 MORE TRAINS A DAY, NORTH AND SOUTH.
SO FROM NEW HAVEN AND TO SPRINGFIELD AND BELLOWS FALLS,
VERMONT, YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF SEEING THE TRACK ALL REDONE AND
IMPROVED ON THE CONNECTICUT SIDE OF THE BORDER.
GOVERNOR BAKER IS COMING OUT TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INVESTMENT.
BUT GOVERNOR MALLOY IN CONNECTICUT HAS USED THAT
STIMULUS MONEY AS AN INVESTMENT.
THAT'S THE REASON RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR OR A
BUS TO NEW HAVEN BECAUSE THE TRACK IS BEING RESTORED IN
CONNECTICUT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, NEW YORK TO SPRINGFIELD
CONNECTION, AND THE GOVERNOR IS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT NORTH AND
SOUTH, AND ACTUALLY I AM WORKING HARD TO MAKE HIM ENTHUSIASTIC
ABOUT EAST AND WEST.
>> AND YOU ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT?
>> YEAH.
>> SO WHAT ABOUT RETAIL?
THERE IS GOING TO BE RETAIL THERE AS WELL?
>> THERE WILL BE AND MIXED USE.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF LAW FIRMS I UNDERSTAND THAT
HAVE SIGNED UP, ARE GOING TO HAVE EATERIES THAT HAVE SIGNED
UP, I THINK IT WON'T BE HARD TO PUT A LITTLE BAR AND RESTAURANT
THERE, AND I BELIEVE THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEING FINALIZED
FOR SOME OF THE OFFICE SPACE ON THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR, SO
IT'S REALLY PRETTY NICE SUBJECT.
>> ARE YOU PRETTY -- YOU MUST BE OPTIMISTIC THEN ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF SPRINGFIELD AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WE GO FORWARD
WITH THIS AND THE CASINO?
>> THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING.
ONE OF THE BEST STORIES, THE MANUFACTURING STORY, THAT'S
TAKING PLACE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT COMING THROUGH 291,
MANUFACTURING IS AN INTERESTING STORY, KARIM -- CAROLEE MCGRATH
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT THE DEMISE OF MANUFACTURING IN
AMERICA.
ACTUALLY MANUFACTURING IS DOING QUITE WELL IN AMERICA.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THAT YOU NEED FEWER PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH
THE SAME END, SO PART OF IT IS THAT, AND PART OF IT IS
PRECISION, HIGH SKILLED MANUFACTURING BUT THERE IS
16,000 PRECISION MANUFACTURING JOBS IN NEW ENGLAND THAT GO
UNANSWERED.
>> BECAUSE WE NEED THE WORKERS.
>> WE NEED THE WORKERS BUT SKILLED WORKERS.
>> SKILLED WORKERS, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE.
SO I AM OPTIMISTIC AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF NICE THINGS ARE
HAPPENING ACROSS WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS RIGHT NOW.
>> OK, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO SEE IT SOON AND TAKE A TOUR AND
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> I AM EXCITED.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND TELLING US ABOUT IT.
>> THANKS.