Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is recommending a state transportation board sign-off on a deal to bring a half-billion dollar MBTA subway car assembly project to Springfield.
Patrick made the announcement in East Springfield, where a new $60 million plant would be built.
“For a contract of this size, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s not enough to ink a deal that serves only the eastern part of the commonwealth,” Patrick said. “Western Massachusetts is ripe for this kind of development and a great fit for companies like this to build here.”
If approved, the contract would go to CNR Massachusetts, a subsidiary of a company owned by the Chinese government. Patrick says the company has been thoroughly vetted.
The governor acknowledges the win for Springfield will disappoint some in the Berkshires, who’d also hoped to land the new assembly plant. But he says the state picked the best deal, and says residents of Pittsfield are within commuting distance of Springfield.
New England Public Radio’s Henry Epp contributed to this report.