Conference 7.286::digital

    To summerize:
    
        DEC has thousands of acres of land in Plymouth, MA off of Exit
        3 of Rt. 3.  6 square miles, larger than the town of Maynard. 
        
        Its located on Beaver Dam Road.
    
        Currently plans are to sell the land maybe because of environmental
        reasons.
    
        Lots of people live in that area that commute to sites around
        Rt 495/Rt 9 and north.
    
        It would be a big boost to the Cape's and Southeastern
        Massachusett's economy.
    
        Only a couple of miles from the ocean!!!
    
        There's probably more.
    
    
             Bryan

    In the past there have been *rumors* that DEC was going to move
    its finance operations here.  And then there was the possibility
    of making the site "DEC UNIVERSITY" and moving all customer and
    employee training to the site.  I heard that the cost of relocating
    literally thousands of employees (and the possibility of losing
    some employees who didn't want to move) along with the difficult
    access from Logan (for customers who wanted to be educated--I know,
    it's not all that difficult to get there) along with inadequate
    infrastructure in the area (roads, sewage, water, telecoms, hotels,
    etc, etc) all combined to make the site less attractive than it
    was once thought to be.  I certainly agree that a large, live-in
    campus would be very attractive, but can understand the financial
    implications of such a move.
    
    A similar large site in Rhode Island (Geenfield?) also disappeared
    for similar reasons.  It costs thousands of dollars to relocate
    an employee; imagine relocating several hundred employees.  The
    mind boggles.  Also consider that the function that might be started
    in such a location may not have anything to do with what *you* do
    for DEC.  A DEC facility in the neighborhood doesn't mean that *you*
    will work there; when I lived in the States, I drove right by at
    least five DEC facilities on my way to work each morning (could've
    walked to one of them).
    
    Bill

    To address another perspective, I think the costs of transfer are
    a lesser issue than the macro costs of growing our business in the
    495/2 area. Plymouth and surrounding offer abundant area for economic 
    (ie. housing) growth. With proper planning, costs of tranferring
    personnel should not be outrageous, and certainly should not involve
    thousands of employees. I get the impression that a list of volunteers
    "not" requiring transfer would be adequate. ;)
    
    The likelihood that organizations would lose key personnel who wouldn't
    want to move is also slim. As for access from Logan, Plymouth has
    a very nice airport for the three-dimensionals and water access
    for the two-dimensionals.
    
    The serious issue is the infrastructure. The Plymouth area, at least
    along the ocean side, has experienced rapid growth, so there is
    concern. The side toward 495 is still pretty barren, though. The
    environmental questions that we fear are inevitable, and will come
    forward by reason of 495-south development by other companies. 
    
    I question whether we might be better off de-emphasizing the 495/2
    growth and addressing new areas like this one. Already there are
    serious environmental issues concerned with developing the
    infrastructure north of Worcester, and there are serious economic
    questions as well. I do not envy personnel moving into the 495/2
    area and looking for good housing; I appreciate my nice and affordable
    housing on the south shore.

    It was my impression that - at least a few years ago - the chamber-of-
    commerce types all over the south shore wanted business, especially
    "clean" industry types to move into the south shore area. At the
    time there seemed to be a real open door---anything they could do
    to entice buinesses (assume this meant sewers,water,buildling permits,
    access roads,maintaining low business tax rates, and so forth).Have
    they all changed their minds.....seems from the replies that DEC
    isn't moving into the SE MA area because of what the area doesn't have
    - implying that if DEC wants it, DEC will have to pay for it...or
    am I mis-reading the replies ?
    
    Agree that transplanting costs for employees probably won't be that
    great - I know I would 'volunteer' to "relocate" without company
    support to that area (mainly since I wouldn't have to relocate..)
    and there must be many others in a similar position or similarly
    disposed.
    
    Maybe DEC is opposed to *BUILDING* therefore *OWNING* the structures
    as opposed to renting or leasing them form someone else ?
    
    There certainly seems to be a great deal in favor of expansion in
    the So Shore and SE AM areas for any company/business. Why are more
    companies looking into it ? (*WE* know DEC is not there...have you
    also noticed that IBM,GE,PRIME,DG and others are also NOT THERE
    as well)....Wonder if their reasons for not moving there are the
    same ones DEC has -- 
    
    It is frustrating, but then life's not fair, either....
    

    As a South Shore resident (Duxbury) and DEC employee I would certainly
    like to see DEC build on the Plymouth site.  It makes a lot of sense
    for a number of reasons.  The cost of living is still incrementally
    cheaper on the South Shore than the GMA (it will cost me 25-30%
    for an equivalent home in the GMA.) There is a large work force
    available (just look at all the cars on Rte 3 during commuting times.)
    It would help solve part of the state's transportation problem by
    reversing the direction of some of the cars.  Finally, it would
    give DEC a nice site in a pristine environment close to some of
    the best tourist areas in Mass.  Perfect for DEC University.
    
    Some things on the downside include major road work at Exit 3 and
    having to bring in all site services since there's very little there
    now. 
    
    It seems to make sense to me, so how do we make it happen?

    I believe that the site for "DEC U" has already been chosen - Boylston.
    Perfect example of a town making it easy for DEC to be there.
    
    However, I agree that Plymouth would be a nice area to live and
    work. I hope that DEc does do something constructive with the land.

    I actually did a little work on that project a few years back. 
    (Surveying the [lack of] telecom facilities.)
    
    There were plans to put in a _lot_ of facilities there, over a decade
    or more.  But it's not so easy.  For one thing, about the only way
    to get there is Rt. 3 (the Clark Rd. exit is within the DEC property).
    Traffic there, especially in the summer, is awful.  The town would
    be seriously impacted by the demand for housing, which would be
    a few miles away at best (since DEC owns so much land that the nearest
    residential neighborhood couldn't be close by).  DEC Real Estate
    didn't want to be involved in a planned (mixed-use) development,
    which is pretty much the only sensible way to handle 5+ square miles.
    
    Also, about half of the land is aquifer, and you can't build on it.
    There is enough non-aquifer land to build on, though.  Frankly I
    think DEC bought it because the company just loves to buy land!
    I'm not holding my breath for a major development there.  (I think
    a residentail developer went belly-up and sold it.  That's how MKO
    was acquired, I hear.)
           fred

It appears to me that a number of people would like to see a facility
south of Rt. 9 and that there has been an ongoing discussion for a while.
(See note 431 also).

I am another one of those Southerners (Randolph) who would love to see
something south of Boston, preferrably in the Dedham to Mansfield
region because commuting South on Rt. 95 is a breeze in the morning.

I think it would make sense to find out who the decision makers are when
it comes to selecting a facility and what we could do to impress our
preferences on these people. If someone can point me to the name(s)
of appropriate people in the Digital organization, I would be willing
to contact them and at least get some relevant information.

Shekhar Sengupta
(a weary commuter on 128)

    This may a very dumb thought but.....
    
    DEC seems to do a lot of research in to a lot of (topical) areas
    before committing to "moving in".....obviously they (whoever they
    are) look at current employees who would have to move "with" a function
    or a facility....has DEC ever looked at people who want to move
    to an AREA - even though it might mean something of a job change
    for them ? 
    
    If you think that point of view doesn't count for much, then try
    describing "counter-clockwise" from the point of view of the clock...
    
    

re .3

>	As for access from Logan, Plymouth has a very nice airport for the 
>	three-dimensionals and water access for the two-dimensionals.

	Ah yes, Plymouth Airport. One 3500 foot runway and one 2500 foot
	runway. I don't expect they see many DC-9's there though... While
	the Plymouth airport could handle our helicopter fleet, and some
	of our fixed wing fleet, the reason for convenient access to Logan
	would be more to provide convenient access to scheduled carriers,
	rather than for access by our corporate fleet.

				Tom_K

    How about convienent access to Hyannis airport.  Or is this opening
    up another can of worms.  Since the P.A.C.E. program instituted
    by Massport is scheduled to take effect in July, I think that major
    and regional carriers will look to the smaller airports as an
    alternative.  Hyannis is an airport that can handle dc-9's and the like.
               
    Bryan

re .11

	Mentioning P.A.C.E. to me is a sure way to open a can of worms.
	There are currently no less than three lawsuits, one by the
	National Business Aircraft Association, one by the Aircraft
	Owners and Pilot's Association, and one by the Regional Airlines
	Association, aimed at blocking Massport's illegal attempt to 
	restrict access to a public facility and restrict interstate
	commerce. There is also legislation pending in both the US Congress
	and Senate to deal with P.A.C.E. It seems highly unlikely
	that DEC would base a decision to build a facility based simply
	on the possibility of increased air service at Hyannis due to
	P.A.C.E.

	If you were going on a business trip, would you drive to Hyannis
	to take one of a few flights, most of which would go to Boston,
	wait there for a connecting flight to your destination, or would
	you simply drive to Logan?

					Tom_K

    Pardon my ignorance, but doesn't Providence, RI, also have an airport?
    

    As far as using the Hyannis airport to suppot a site in Plymouth,
    I think it is a viable alternative to Boston. In addition, the T.F.
    Green airport in Providence IS capable of connecting to many cities.
    
    The issue around PACE can be interpreted as illegal if you side
    with the special interest groups listed in 543.12. However, if I
    was taking a business trip from DEC Burlington, VT to Maynard and
    I couldn't get on the shuttle, I'd much rather do it on a 737 or
    DC-9 instead of the puddle jumpers currently in use by Piedmont,
    Eastern and Delta.
    
    Tom - there are 26 flights a day between Burlington and Boston.
    That's TWENTY-SIX!!!!! Twenty six times a day the controllers at
    Logan have to plan for a plane with around 15 people.
    
    If normal jet service was established between the two cities, the
    number of aircraft could be reduced to around 8 or 10. And this
    would help relieve the congestion that PACE is striving towards.
    
    With the great number of airports surrounding Boston, charters and
    private planes should use them and stop cluttering up Logan. Boston
    is lucky. It is surrounded by Providence to the south, Worcester
    to the west and Manchester to the north. All are serviced by major
    airlines. I just can't see the need to have such a high number of
    small aircraft, btoh private and public, utilize the already crowded
    airspace over Logan.
    
    Rich
    

    Is that nuclear reactor anywhere near the DEC land?
    
    BTW: When is DEC moving to Boyleston? Is training going there?

       RE: P.A.C.E.
       
       	Rathole Alert....
       
       							mike

    Although there is no telling when approval might come, Plymouth
    is undergoing environmental impact studies for extension of both
    runways. I hear the emotional support comes from WearGuard, which
    suffers from less-than-full use of its CitationII because of the
    short length. 
    
    The realistic question is ease of access for trips -- I still see
    this is not unlike many other sites: long drive + tunnel or chopper.

re .14, .16

	Yes, lets avoid the rathole. Suffice to say that I believe that
	.14 contains several statements in error that I'd be happy to
	discuss, but this conference is not the place for it.


					Tom_K

    re: .14.16 et alia
    
    Obviously you guys missed out on two important news items:
      1.Expansion of the greater metropolitan Marshfield aerodrome
    				and
     2.DEC's proposed new fleet of all weather hovercraft

    	#1 entails re seeding this spring of the main runway/pasture
    	and installation of a two way radio in the tower.
    
    	#2 completely obviates the need for airports,road, railways
    and lots of other stuff....it does suck up a lot of ducks tho...
        

        re .15 and Boylston - the current plan is for the
        "groundbreaking" to happen this 23 August, and for the
        first employees to move in during August 1990.
        
        The facility will be the "Corporate Education Center" -
        there will be lots of "training going there".
        
Jim Stratton
        

    Over the Memorial Day Weekend, I was at Manomet and drove by the
    DEC real estate in Plymouth.  Located at the junction of Beaver
    Dam Road/Clark Road and Route 3, the site has small signs warning
    people not to enter on trees every 20 feet approximately.
    
    Bryan
    

    I'm surprised that there is even talk of more faciltiy development,
    especially in this age of "affordability".  And if it were to take
    place the last place it should happen is in Mass.  
    
    After all, the US area should be moving from Stow to Washington or
    NY.  The people in GIA to should move to Tokyo and free up all the
    space in Nagog.  Engineering development should follow the best
    engineers in the world, and while many of them live in Mass they
    are not all there.
    
    When that is done there will be plenty of Digital owned space
    in Mass and it might even be easy to attract good people here as
    housing would be affordable again.
    
    Dia dhuit,
    
    Willie

    There was a column in yesterday's Boston Globe, "Starts and Stops" that
    talked about a commission looking into prospects for a second major
    airport to take the pressure off of Logan.  Among other things it said:
    
    "No doubt the commission will stumble upon the largest undeveloped
    tract in Eastern Massachusetts.  It is a 3,600 acre parcel off route 3
    in Plymouth owned by Digital Equipment Corp.  The computer maker bought
    it for future expansion during its boom years in the early 1980s. 
    However, the company has no near-term plans to develop it.
    

News piece this AM on Boston's Channel 4 says we've sold the Plymouth
property to developers.

    I was wondering when that would go.  Actually, I wanted to bid on
    "the friary" :-)
    
    ed

From:	MRMTS::MRMTS::MRGATE::"SALES::A1::PRESS"  8-NOV-1994 16:20:02.04
To:	@Distribution_List
Subj:	Press Releases, Nov. 8, 1994                                           1

From:	NAME: Press Releases                
	FUNC:                                 
	TEL:                                  <PRESS AT A1 at SALES at MRO>
To:     See Below

 This document consists of 2 press releases [5 printed pages]:
 
  . [omitted]
 
  . Digital Agrees to Sell Undeveloped Plymouth Property to Private Buyers
    
    .
    .
    .
     	  Michael Dodson		    Thomas F. Wallace
     	  Digital Equipment Corporation	    (508) 747-3447
     	  (508) 493-0293
 
 
                DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION AGREES TO SELL
               UNDEVELOPED PLYMOUTH PROPERTY TO PRIVATE BUYERS
 
 MAYNARD, Mass. -- November 8, 1994 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today 
 announced it has signed a purchase and sale agreement with two private 
 buyers, Thomas F. Wallace and Walter J. Wallace, for a 3,400-acre parcel of 
 undeveloped land in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  A closing is expected on the 
 sale in the spring.
     The Wallaces plan to develop the property into a multi-use complex.  
 Some of the proposed uses include a championship golf course, a hotel/ 
 conference center, an office park, upscale retail space, a residential area, 
 an agricultural component and substantial open space.  
     Thomas F. Wallace commented, "This will be a truly unique project.  To 
 my knowledge, no one else in New England has undertaken a development 
 project of this size.  We expect this project will have a positive impact on 
 Plymouth, its tax rate and its local economy.  As an 18-year resident of the 
 town, I am committed to working with the community and its key individuals 
 to make the complex work in the best possible way for Plymouth."
     "As part of our real estate consolidation, the company is disposing of 
 assets for which we have no future plans," said Michael Babini, Digital's 
 Real Estate Services manager. "Digital is sensitive to the needs of the 
 town, and we are very positive about the direction of the master plan for 
 this project.  We believe it holds tremendous potential for the town and the 
 surrounding area."  
     Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/ 
 server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information 
 systems.  Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software 
 and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business 
 partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace.
                                     ####
 
Note to Editors:  Digital and the Digital logo are trademarks of 
                  Digital Equipment Corporation.

CORP/95/716

 Distribution:  
 You received this message because you subscribed to Press Releases in Readers 
 Choice. 
    
    [remainder omitted...tal]

RE: .25  Last year Digital razed the friary building.  Even so, we still own
	  ~140 acres of prime industrial land within easy access to the new
	  soon to be easy on Rt 3 interchange at Lowell Road.  And as a bonus
	 the land has ~1000 feet on the Merrimack River.

.../ken

Nit: The Friary has been gone for at least 3 years, maybe more.

daryll

    OK, I'll bite: what's a friary?

    Alfred

    A friary is precisely that. A place where Friars or monks live.
    
    The Friary is a piece of property on Lowell Rd. (Rte. 3a) in Hudson,
    NH. It was originally built by the Capuchin Order of monks. They have a
    winery up in Vermont somewhere. Here they just studied to be priests.
    
    I remember going there at least once a month when I was in my teens. It
    was a fantastic place. We learned to play guitar, make sandals. (Real
    leather sandals. They had a pool, basketball court, recording studio,
    and a lot more. I even heard about a putting green or a couple of 
    pitch n putt type golf holes there, but never saw them.
    
    There was even going to be an astronomical observatory on the roof, but
    they moved out due to lack of funds before it was finished. The town of
    Hudson was offered the property as a place for police, fire, and other
    town departments and offices. As usual, they refused to buy it. They
    missed out. Maybe the price was higher then they wanted to pay or maybe
    it was insurance. Who knows? 
    
    Anyway, DIGITAL picked it up and used the building for storage of
    racking and portable walls and office furniture and equipment. I think
    the building eventually became unsafe and was torn down. I also think
    that one of the DIGITAL softball leagues still plays there.
    
    I also know that a LEY Line passes through that piece of property. :-)
    
    PJ

The softball league no longer plays there. Last year, all funding 
for the maintenence of the fields was withdrawn. The league 
couldn't afford to pick up the costs and disbanded.

I believe the building was torn down because it was loaded with 
asbestos.

daryll

Hudson chose to forgo the opportunity to purchase the property when
the Capuchins offered it for $2.3M, ~$500K less than their asking price.  The
vote to buy failed at a 1980 special town meeting by 10 votes.  Funny thing now, if
you ask anyone in Hudson how they voted, the total number voting in
in favor exceeds the total "yea" votes originally cast.

.../ken

    Sounds like Hudson politics. I lived in Nashua in 1980 and wasn't
    working for DIGITAL back then, but I voted yea also. :-)
    
    PJ

    Yes, the building was removed before 1990.  The woods were thinned
    two years ago.  Now the land is used for walking dogs (despite the
    no trespass signs) and numerous other "unknown uses" as vehicles can
    oftne be seen going around the "do not enter" signs on the driveway.
    
    The driveway is also used as a speed trap hideout for 3A.
    
    ed