6 Takeaways From The 2020 Framingham 'State Of The City' Address

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer gave her "State of the City" speech on Thursday night at City Hall, touching on a wide range of topics, from the recent death of Framingham officer Val Krishtal, to jobs, climate change, and racism.

This is Spicer's third state-of-the-city since she won election in 2017, and the first before an almost entirely new City Council. The event also drew a wide range of local politicians and officials, like U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, and Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins.

Here are some takeaways from the mayor's remarks Thursday night:

Nobscot Village

Shepherding the redevelopment of the mostly vacant shopping plaza in the Nobscot area is clearly a priority for Spicer. The city received a $3.4 million MassWorks grant for improvements to Edgell Road, Edmands Road, and Water Street near the plaza. And the city in 2019 approved a re-zone in the area.

"With these changes, we can begin to re-establish a vibrant neighborhood village center," she said.

Recent violent crime

The Jan. 10 killings of James "Manny" Wade, 45, and his son, James Wade, 24 — and the October domestic violence killing of Jamia Maddrey-Ammons — were likely at the top of Spicer's mind. Those were the first three homicides in the city on Spicer's watch. Investing in programs on top of policing will be a goal, she said.

"We’ve experienced some significant tragedies in the last several months. Let’s not skirt around that. These situations do not define Framingham. I’m committing to double down on our efforts to collaborate with the agencies that provide counseling, mentoring, and other necessary services. I want our community to feel safe and confident that they do not have to accept this unacceptable behavior," she said.

Spicer also highlighted a task force she created with police to focus on safety in the downtown area.

"We are working to increase safety in downtown Framingham by engaging business owners and residents to directly communicate and strategize with the police department," she said.

Equity

This was something Spicer kept coming back to. The beginning of her speech touched on the dearth of women of color in elected office, and later she highlighted the city's flying of the LGBTQ pride flag at City Hall in 2019 for the first time.

Spicer said that the Welcoming Immigrants Task Force would continue in 2020, and would broaden its focus to areas like housing and education. And, she wants City Council to broaden the definition of how Framingham welcomes people.

"I want call out the intolerance I’ve seen in Framingham — xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, antisemitism. It is unacceptable. I want to empower our community to interrupt this behavior. This is perpetrated by a small group of people, but it will take all of us to address it," she said.

She also encouraged residents to cross Route 9 — northside residents should come downtown, and southside residents should check out Callahan State Park, she said.

Perini Building purchase

If you didn't already know, Spicer is in favor of buying the Perini Building to house city employees. She's already held two public hearings on the topic. The purchase price has not been discussed yet, however.

"I believe the acquisition of the Perini building is the right move for us as a city. It will solve many challenges, such as space limitations and parking, and will provide a permanent home for the school department. This will also give us an opportunity to make the Memorial Building a showcase by improving the office space, making the ADA-compliant renovations that it sorely needs, and developing expanded community space," she said.

Local business growth

Spicer made sure to shout-out some local businesses that have either expanded or opened in the city. Some of those include: VIP Tires and Service; Leggett Group Counseling; Los Pinos Restaurant; Franklin Street Café; and the new "next generation" Dunkin' in Saxonville.

Not part of the speech: Bose's announcement that it would close 119 retail stores, including many in the U.S.; the Hobby Lobby grand opening; and the closing of A.C. Moore.

Transportation and traffic

It's conceivable that almost everyone at the speech Thursday has had to endure downtown traffic in some form. It's an issue Spicer said she would make a priority moving ahead.

Spicer also said she's looking forward to MWRTA studying the addition of Sunday service. She also challenged state leaders on building more parking for the MBTA commuter rail station.

"We’ve talked, and we’ve looked at potential plans," she said of new parking — and with the city's state delegation seated in the audience.

Other key parts of the speech:

Climate change: "I commit to Framingham increasing its efforts to address climate change. We have to do our part. In 2020, we must create a robust strategy to address the cost and resources needed to mitigate the impact of storm water on our environment."

Education Funding: "This past spring, along with my fellow mayors, I testified at the statehouse for education finance reform. That legislation, now known as the Student Opportunity Act, was signed into law at the end of the year. This legislation represents 7 years of new education funding — nearly $21 million dollars for Framingham."

New City Council: "I hope that we can work together to continue to make good things happen for Framingham with greater urgency."