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Date: 11/27/2023
PALMER — New secretary of transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt visited Palmer’s historic Union Station, now Steaming Tender restaurant, on Nov. 20 to join the discussion on the Compass Rail project.
During the event, Tibbits-Nutt largely spoke about the increasing rate of people leaving the state, highlighting high costs and lack of housing as the main issues. She explained that more housing and transportation would help draw people and businesses back to the state, specifically western and central Massachusetts.
Tibbits-Nutt said she was initially surprised that Massachusetts didn’t have many trains that connected to other states and that, while there are currently available train lines, they needed to be utilized better.
“I’m committed to this [project],” Tibbits-Nutt stated, emphasizing the importance of researching how to best integrate the Compass Rail project with current resources. “We don’t just want to do a study in isolation, we want to do it with you … you know the community.”
This was Tibbits-Nutt’s first official event since being appointed transportation secretary on Nov. 13, she said.
Scarlet Lamothe, the general manager and marketing manager of Steaming Tender restaurant, also spoke during the meeting, giving a presentation on the history of Palmer’s historic station and describing what the new station could offer.
“I like to call this our Grand Central Station of Western Mass.,” Lamothe said. She explained that the station was first established by Henry Hobson Richardson in 1884 and closed in 1971. During that time, the station was a hub for five routes that passed through Palmer.
Lamothe stated that a new station in Palmer would connect visitors to dozens of available services within walking distance, such as hotels, shops, canoeing on Quaboag River, parking and the Palmer Public Library. Similarly, the station will also connect Palmer residents to the rest of the state, as well as attractions in Connecticut such as Mohegan Sun casino.
She also described the creation of a “passenger park” or a green space near the station to allow residents to rest. Lamothe emphasized Palmer’s goal was “to be more than a station” and become “the building block for future stations and entertainment centers for the commonwealth.”
State Sen. Jacob Oliveira (D-Ludlow), state Rep. Todd Smola (R-Warren) and State Senator-Elect Peter Durant (R-Spencer) also attended the event and expressed support for the project.
Oliveira discussed the importance of including Palmer in the Compass Rail project and highlighted the recent $12.5 million given to support the stations at Palmer and Pittsfield while Smola admitted that the project had “dragged along for many years” but said he hoped to help “in any way we can.”