Boston Globe
February 5, 2005

Governor signs $261M bill to expand military facilities

By Scott Goldstein, Globe Correspondent

Governor Mitt Romney signed a bill yesterday that authorizes a $261-million
expansion at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford and the US Army Soldier
Systems Center in Natick that promises to create thousands of jobs.

The measure, passed unanimously in the House and Senate on Thursday, is
aimed at reducing the chances that the federal base closure commission will
order the two facilities shuttered. The legislation was pushed through in
less than a week, so it could be included in a report on the efficiency of
state bases due Monday to the Department of Defense. "The businesses and the
jobs that could potentially be created because of this important new law
reflect our state's greatest strength: brainpower," Romney said in a
prepared statement. "That's what we bring to the table, and that's what we
need to nurture for future job growth and economic success."

The money, raised by bonds, is expected to add an estimated 4,200 jobs to
the 33,000 current ones at the two facilities: 4,000 at Hanscom and 200 in
Natick. The plans call for adding 1.25 million square feet of
research-and-development capacity in Bedford and 110,000 square feet in
Natick.

"We've all worked hard to preserve Hanscom and Natick and put a lot of
thought and hard work into developing this expansion plan," said US Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, who joined Romney yesterday. "We're offering the military
the opportunity to nearly double the mission space at Hanscom and greatly
expand the space at Natick."

Romney and Kennedy are cochairman of the Massachusetts Defense Technology
Initiative.

US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has announced plans to close about
26 percent of the more than 4,000 US military facilities in the next six
years in order to save money.

In a statement, US Representative Edward J. Markey, dean of the
Massachusetts congressional delegation, said, "Today's action sends the
clear message that this offer and money to back it up are real."

Scott Goldstein can be reached at sgoldstein@globe.com.

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