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Count Westwood's leaders among those interested in federal infrastructure funding for Westwood Station should it become available.
President-elect Barack Obama outlined plans for an extensive economic stimulus program this week that he said would create or save 2.5 million jobs over two years. The package would cost hundreds of billions of dollars and include alternative energy spending and funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Gov. Deval Patrick has asked state agencies to draw up lists of "ready-to-go" construction projects that could use federal funding if Massachusetts gets part of the stimulus package, said Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.
Such funding for infrastructure improvements at Westwood Station would be "a win-win for everybody" involved in the project, said Town Administrator Michael Jaillet.
"We want to see infrastructure improvements, and we want to see the project go forward," Jaillet said, also noting that such funding would assist developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes "in these difficult financial times with the ability to make their balance sheet work a little bit better."
Selectmen Chairman Patrick Ahearn said Westwood is always in favor of pursuing opportunities that will benefit the town.
"This is very early in the process, and we're not aware of any specifics yet," he said, but added that federal funding could perhaps be spent on highway improvements.
"We've identified it, we're watching it, and we're diligently looking to see if it can help us," Ahearn said of the funding possibility.
A Cabot, Cabot & Forbes spokesman told State House News Service earlier this week that the company, not surprisingly, is also interested in pursuing federal funding. He said the money could be spent on upgrading roads around Westwood Four and a half million square feet of retail, residential, hotel and office space are planned for the $1.5 billion Westwood Station project, to be built on University Avenue. Jay Doherty, the president of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, said last week that he hoped construction of buildings on the site will begin in the spring.
But the project has been hampered in recent months by a crucial, stalled bill in the state Legislature that would grant a beer and wine license to Wegmans supermarket, one of Westwood Station's two anchor tenants. State Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton, has blocked the bill from going to the governor's desk based on concerns that Westwood Station would dramatically increase traffic in his neighboring town.
The Legislature will meet in informal session again today, but it seems unlikely the Wegmans bill will pass before January, when a new, formal legislative session begins.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
Count Westwood's leaders among those interested in federal infrastructure funding for Westwood Station should it become available.
President-elect Barack Obama outlined plans for an extensive economic stimulus program this week that he said would create or save 2.5 million jobs over two years. The package would cost hundreds of billions of dollars and include alternative energy spending and funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Gov. Deval Patrick has asked state agencies to draw up lists of "ready-to-go" construction projects that could use federal funding if Massachusetts gets part of the stimulus package, said Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.
Such funding for infrastructure improvements at Westwood Station would be "a win-win for everybody" involved in the project, said Town Administrator Michael Jaillet.
"We want to see infrastructure improvements, and we want to see the project go forward," Jaillet said, also noting that such funding would assist developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes "in these difficult financial times with the ability to make their balance sheet work a little bit better."
Selectmen Chairman Patrick Ahearn said Westwood is always in favor of pursuing opportunities that will benefit the town.
"This is very early in the process, and we're not aware of any specifics yet," he said, but added that federal funding could perhaps be spent on highway improvements.
"We've identified it, we're watching it, and we're diligently looking to see if it can help us," Ahearn said of the funding possibility.
A Cabot, Cabot & Forbes spokesman told State House News Service earlier this week that the company, not surprisingly, is also interested in pursuing federal funding. He said the money could be spent on upgrading roads around Westwood Four and a half million square feet of retail, residential, hotel and office space are planned for the $1.5 billion Westwood Station project, to be built on University Avenue. Jay Doherty, the president of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, said last week that he hoped construction of buildings on the site will begin in the spring.
But the project has been hampered in recent months by a crucial, stalled bill in the state Legislature that would grant a beer and wine license to Wegmans supermarket, one of Westwood Station's two anchor tenants. State Rep. William Galvin, D-Canton, has blocked the bill from going to the governor's desk based on concerns that Westwood Station would dramatically increase traffic in his neighboring town.
The Legislature will meet in informal session again today, but it seems unlikely the Wegmans bill will pass before January, when a new, formal legislative session begins.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
