Bissonnette unveils economic plan

By Paula Canning

Staff Writer

CHICOPEE Standing before a map of the city of Chicopee tacked to the wall in his Church Street law office, mayoral candidate Michael Bissonnette points towards a land corridor that begins with the American Bosch property and ends with the former Uniroyal Tire Factory.

These two abandoned industrial sites represent key properties in Bissonnette's economic vision for the city, which he outlined during an interview with Reminder Publications last week.

Should he defeat Mayor Richard Goyette in the Nov. 8 election, Bissonnette would seek to see through what he coined his "From the Bosch to the Bridge," economic development plan a master plan that calls for the clean up and redevelopment of the city's industrial sites that sit along the waterfront of the Connecticut and Chicopee rivers.

"The clean up and redevelopment of industrial sites, known as brown fields, are key to providing renewed economic opportunities through these properties," Bissonnette said. "Redevelopment improves the quality of life in Chicopee by rectifying long standing blight that has been ignored far too long."

Bissonnette is scheduled to host a press conference in front of the former Uniroyal building this afternoon, to outline his redevelopment plan and how he would work towards achieving his vision.

According to Bissonnette, the economic revival plan would call for "cleaning up the city's waterfront," by turning the Uniroyal and American Bosch properties, along with other abandoned industrial properties, into new business ventures.

He said that although today's economy wouldn't allow the return of the 4,000 manufacturing jobs that the city's industry once provided, the properties could house light manufacturing, retail and recreation sites, along with residential condominiums.

And according to Bissonnette, although it might take a significant amount of time and effort, this redevelopment vision is not far from reality.

He cited the success of other Massachusetts cities, such as Lowell, as a prime example of a city that achieved economic revival along its rundown waterfront area.

"The story of Chicopee is the story of a lot of New England industrial towns," Bissonnette explained.

As long as a city has the necessary state and federal backing to fund the a similar project, than the redevelopment of key industrial sites is feasible, he said.

"It will take an enormous financial commitment from the public and private sector," he said.

And according to Bissonnette, having him at the forefront of negotiations would set the city up for success.

"I will work diligently with state and federal legislators and officials to obtain the necessary grants to begin this important work," he said.

He said that many of his political and professional endeavors provide him with "the ability to pursue this vision."

"I know the money is there, and I know how to find it," he said.

Redevelopment of the industrial sites would one of the first priorities of his administration, he said

"The longer [the properties] stay vacant, the more dangerous it is for the city, both economically and environmentally," he said.

Projecting that his redevelopment plan would take about a decade to successfully unfold, he said that the project is not something "that could happen overnight."

"You have to start with a plan and a vision," he said.

With this vision in place, Bissonnette said his first step as mayor would be to create an abandoned building task force to identify the city's abandoned properties and their accompanying problems.

The Uniroyal building, for example, would need to be abolished, as "it is beyond structural repair."

The next step, he said, would be to move forward with seeking public and private financing.

This would include asking for special legislation to create an economic development district in the city of of Chicopee, as well as tax incentives for companies to relocate to the city.

"Without private investment, this won't happen," he said. "It's too big a project for the government to handle by itself."

He added, "Private capital investment is key in turning the area from the Bosch to the Bridge into Chicopee's success story," he said. "This in the end relieves the tax burden on homeowners and business by providing new revenue sources for Chicopee. It's a win-win all around."

Bissonnette also said that increasing private business investment is possible for the city, with its unique geographic position with close access to the highway and Connecticut river front.

"One good opportunity breeds the next, and we can't look at these projects in isolation.

He said the creation of a master plan for the city is crucial to the success of the project.

"We need a solid structure in place, so the redevelopment effort is an ongoing endeavor, and not just a political one that goes from one mayor to the next," he said.

"This is serious business," he said. "This is the future of the city of Chicopee."