Audit  Audit of the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC)

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC) for the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. In this performance audit, we examined whether DEC had taken measures to accomplish its stated goals related to the oversight and management of new and existing affordable housing in the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone (Devens).¹ We also examined DEC’s effort to partner with MassDevelopment,² local businesses, and surrounding communities to establish, support, and improve commuter options for Devens businesses and residents.

Our audit revealed no significant instances of noncompliance by DEC that must be reported under generally accepted government auditing standards.

A PDF copy of the audit of the Devens Enterprise Commission is available here.

1.     Section 2 of Chapter 498 of the Acts of 1993 includes the following definition: “‘Devens’ or the ‘Devens Regional Enterprise Zone,’ the regional development zone created by this act, the boundaries of which include all the land area of Fort Devens, except the South Post, and certain land adjacent to Fort Devens owned by the Commonwealth, and certain land adjacent to Fort Devens currently owned by the Springfield Railway Terminal, Inc. or affiliate thereof or successor thereto, and currently used primarily for railroad purposes.”

2.    MassDevelopment, a state finance and development authority, was created on September 30, 1998, pursuant to Chapter 23G of the Massachusetts General Laws, by the statutory merger of the Massachusetts Government Land Bank and the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency. Section 12 of Chapter 498 of the Acts of 1993 designates the Massachusetts Government Land Bank as “the exclusive public agency or instrumentality authorized and empowered to maintain, operate, administer, manage, and oversee the redevelopment of Devens.”