Lee Breaks Ground on Public Safety Building
LEE, Mass. — Ground was ceremonially broken on the town's new public safety building, something officials see as a gift to the community and future generations.
When finished, Lee will have a 37,000 square-foot combined public safety facility on Railroad Street where the Airoldi and Department of Public Works buildings once stood. Construction will cost around $24 million, and is planned to be completed in August 2027.
"This is the town of Lee being proactive. This is the town of Lee being thoughtful and considerate and practical and assertive, and this project is not just for us. This project is a gift," Select Board member Bob Jones said.
"This is a gift to our children, our grandchildren."
State and local officials, including U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, gathered at the site on Friday, clad in hard hats and yellow vests, and shoveled some dirt to kick off the build.
Town Administrator Chris Brittain explained that officials have planned and reviewed the need for a modern facility for the public safety departments for years, and that the project marks a new chapter, replacing 19th-century infrastructure with a "state-of-the-art" complex.
"The project is not just about concrete and steel, it's a commitment to the safety of our families, the efficiency of our first responders, and the future of our community," he said.
He said he was grateful to the town's Police, Fire, and Building departments for their dedication while operating out of outdated facilities, and to the Department of Public Works, for coordinating site preparation and relocating its services.
"Our community voted to invest in this project because we believe in supporting our first responders as we start digging," Brittain said.
"We are not just destroying the old; we are building something better and stronger for the residents of Lee. Thank you all for being part of this historic moment."
In 2023, voters endorsed nearly $37 million in borrowing, which included the purchase of the property and relocating the DPW, during a special town meeting. Neal secured $1 million for construction through the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the fiscal 2024 spending bill.
Select Board Chair Sean Regnier has been on the board for six years, and in understanding the town's needs, he saw the public safety facilities were "really lacking." He hopes Lee can continue to lead with education and training for first responders.
"We really took a holistic approach to the town to address not just public safety, but other facilities, and this being the largest part of that, it's really encouraging," he said.
"We will have some other things in development in the future as well."
Neal said he was encouraged by the fact that the town's elected officials were willing to take up a referendum question, an "essential part of the courage they've exhibited on this occasion."
"There is no more fundamental responsibility at the local level of governance than the security of our people. That's an essential part, whether it's the police service or the fire service," he said, adding that ambulance service is another important ingredient, and the federal government finances much of it through Medicaid.
"… I think we need to understand this as we're having this timely debate in Washington, once again, as we should. Democracy is supposed to be noisy about expenditure, but this is an example of the useful expenditure based on a long-term investment."
State Rep. Leigh Davis said this project is about the future, especially the future of public safety. This legislative session, she has filed five bills that are focused on emergency medical services and the challenges facing first responders.
"These town leaders behind me were facing facilities that no longer met the needs of modern public safety: An EMS building held together by temporary supports, a police station far too small for today's demands," she said.
"At the same time, it felt like an overwhelming challenge, but instead of stepping back, this community stepped forward with the leadership of your local officials and the support of residents. You built a plan, and now just a short time later, you have land secured, a team in place, and a construction moving forward."
State Sen. Paul Mark and U.S Sen. Edward Markey's offices were also represented at the event.
State Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi said Lee realized it needed to ensure that when first responders come back from dangerous work, they aren't returning to dangerous facilities.
Select Board member Gordon D. Bailey explained that public safety teams have been working in "less than adequate" conditions for years in buildings that were constructed in the 1800s, he said, and this fact alone brought significant obstacles with modern requirements and quickly evolving technological changes.
He sees this project as the culmination of years of discussions, planning, design meetings, the brainstorming of forward-thinking individuals, and, most importantly, the support of our community.
Tags: groundbreaking, public safety buildings,
