Even as infrastructure allocations from the federal stimulus bill start to gain momentum in Massachusetts, state officials are struggling to satisfy a public thirst for federal funds.
"I think the biggest challenge is that, as big as the stimulus is, it's not big enough," U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) told the Daily. "When you look at the needs in Massachusetts … they're much greater and much bigger than the state will be given to work with."
Still, McGovern and other leaders remain optimistic that some of the recent allocations will spur needed economic growth.
In particular, Gov. Deval Patrick's office has recently announced the allotment of $100 million for a Silver Line extension this fall and $986 million in loans for drinking water and wastewater projects across the state.
Jeffrey Simon, who has taken the lead on these initiatives as Massachusetts' director of infrastructure investment, said that such efforts underscore the state's commitment to a quick recovery.
"It's really just picking up steam every day," Simon, an Experimental College lecturer who in his new position is working entirely with stimulus funds, told the Daily. He placed particular emphasis on some of the roadway projects that have already begun.
"The pace has really picked up," he said, "and the great thing is that while the program is [still young], there are now people actually working."
In Somerville, officials are confident that a substantial portion of the roadway funds still to be distributed will go toward the Assembly Square project, which looks to convert 66.5 acres of former industrial space along the Mystic River into a transit-oriented community.
The city asked in January for $56 million in stimulus funds in order to go ahead with roadway and sewer plans there, and local leaders are expecting to see at least a part of that request approved imminently.
"The indication is that [state leaders] are continuing to underscore their commitment to the Assembly Square project," Somerville spokesperson Tom Champion told the Daily.
While Champion said that the city has not received an official timeline from Patrick's office, he believes the fact that the Assembly Square construction plans are already finalized will make the project attractive to the state.
"The point that has worked in favor of Assembly Square all along is that it is completely shovel-ready by any definition," he said. "This is a project that is all teed up and ready to go, so it is a very good target for this kind of stimulus money, and it may be one of the easiest places for the state to put first-round dollars."
Simon confirmed that the Patrick administration remains committed to Assembly Square. "It's one of the priority projects that we're working on," he said. "It's a very key project not only for the City of Somerville, but for the whole region."
Champion expects to eventually receive all $56 million requested for Assembly Square, but that only represents a piece of the nearly $141 million that Somerville is seeking from Massachusetts' share of the stimulus funds.
As such, he is optimistic that local leaders will also see at least partial funding for construction on Broadway in East Somerville and for Magoun Square improvements.
Champion is less hopeful about the $53.5 million the city wants to rebuild the East Somerville Community School, which was destroyed by a fire in 2007.
"We know that there will be relatively less money available for school funding," he said. "We expect that a higher priority for the state may be some of our [other] proposals."
In vying for these funds, Somerville has been locked in competition with other cities and towns across the state, all of which are hoping to benefit from the stimulus. Still, Champion said he is happy with the early attention that Somerville has received.
"We know how large a job this is, and obviously every city and town that's eligible for money would like to see disbursements begin as quickly as possible," he said. "But we understand the level of due diligence involved, and we know that the Patrick administration is moving as quickly as it can."
But even as Champion and state officials celebrate early victories, they have also seen a number of setbacks, most recently with the money allocated for drinking water and wastewater projects.
Currently, the money is only available in the form of loans, a situation that McGovern called less than ideal. He urged the state legislature to remedy the problem by passing legislation to allow the government more flexibility.
"The legislature now needs to act to allow the state to be able to distribute that money not just in terms of loans, but in terms of grants," he said.
He conceded that this could take time. "Things don't move in seconds in government," he said. "Sometimes, they take hours and even days."
McGovern said that a separate problem has been transportation projects — such as an initiative to expand commuter rail service in Worcester — that have been stalled for years.
"All of this has been kind of put off, and now here we are and we need to find a way to fund them all, and it's difficult," he said.
Even apart from funding, extensions of public transportation also face hang-ups as the state tries to find places to locate new lines.
"Everybody wants [more] commuter rail, but nobody wants another backyard," McGovern said.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis also expressed concern about the length of time rapid-transit projects take, labeling as "absurd" the delays over the years in bringing the Green Line to Medford and Somerville.
"And unfortunately, that reflects what's going on in the rest of the country," he told the Daily. "We've got to stop this; we're out of practice. I'm a big high-speed rail guy, but we don't know how to do it."
Dukakis complimented Patrick for his work with the stimulus money, but called for more follow-through. "I think the governor is doing a good job trying to get it to places [that] need work," he said. "Our problem here and across the country is that we're having a tough time getting things done."
Part of the issue, according to McGovern, is the sheer scope of what needs to be accomplished.
"There are a lot of needs out there," he said. "There have been years of neglect of our infrastructure in Massachusetts."
While the stimulus may not be able to erase the state's infrastructure troubles, officials remain committed to making as much of a dent as possible.
In the short term, Simon is focused on meeting a deadline the federal government has set for the first week of July for the state to allocate $153 million for roadway and bridge projects. The money carries a "use it or lose it" provision, meaning that if it is not spent by then, it will be given to other states.
"We will make that deadline and then some," Simon said. "For the states that don't make the deadline, we intend to be in line to be a recipient for the rest of whatever funds are left over."
Overall, around $2 billion of the $8.7 billion in stimulus funds set aside for the state are earmarked for infrastructure, but it could take around two years to distribute it all.
In the meantime, though, officials are facing pressure to allocate the money faster. "Expectations are running so high on the stimulus program overall," Simon said. "It's been a challenge to get accurate information out in a timely manner."
Regardless, he remains energized about future prospects. "I think that we're off to a great start, and it's only going to get better as the program goes along," he said.
For his part, McGovern said he cannot yet determine how successful the stimulus will be in revitalizing the state's lagging infrastructure, since the vast majority of the funds have yet to be rolled out.
"It's too early to tell how it's all going to work out, but there are little spurts of hope," he said.
