Project Details
Project Designer: Dietz & Company Architects, Inc.
Project Type: Building Demolition
Project Features
This project consists of the demolition of vacant structures primarily comprised of wood, cast in place concrete, brick masonry, and concrete masonry (CMU) structures.
Background
- The Monson Developmental Center (MDC) was closed by the Department of Developmental Services in 2012.
- MDC consists of approximately 675 acres of land including buildings/structures and infrastructure. DCAMM manages the MDC grounds, buildings/structures and infrastructure, performs regular and as-needed maintenance, and oversees a 24/7, 365-days-per-year security presence on the MDC site.
FAQs
Who manages the Monson Developmental Center (MDC)?
The Monson Developmental Center (MDC) was closed by the Department of Developmental Services in 2012. As a surplus state facility, it was transferred to the Commonwealth’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM).
DCAMM currently manages the property, performs regular and as-needed maintenance, and oversees a 24/7, 365-days-per-year security presence on the site.
Are the buildings on the campus still in use?
None of the buildings on the MDC property are in use, and many cannot be safely entered.
The buildings on the campus were built between 1848 – 1970, and the MDC is listed on State and National Registers of Historic Places.
There is a 24/7, 365-days-per-year security presence on the MDC site—managed by the Commonwealth—given the safety considerations.
What has the Commonwealth done to manage the MDC?
Since MDC was transferred to DCAMM, DCAMM has completed a number of remediation activities in addition to the regular maintenance performed on the site. Among those activities:
- Closing and capping a landfill on site, which included removing a smokestack and an underground tank
- Repairing the State Hospital Road Bridge and completing repairs to the bridge sidewalk
- Removing the Quabbin building
Are there portions of the MDC property that are used for agricultural purposes?
Yes. Legislation (Chapter 181 of the Acts of 2022) authorized DCAMM to transfer the care and control of selected portions of the MDC campus to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture (MDAR). DCAMM currently has a Memorandum of Agreement with MDAR for use of the agricultural fields and is coordinating with MDAR on a formal transfer in the future. Approximately 43 acres of the MDC property are restricted for agricultural use.
Are there portions of the MDC property that will be preserved for nature?
Yes. Legislation (Chapter 181 of the Acts of 2022) authorized DCAMM to transfer a large portion of the campus to the care and control of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). As of March 2024, DCAMM is coordinating with DFG to transfer this portion of the campus. This will include approximately 458 acres located on the west side of Upper Palmer Road/State Avenue.
Does the Commonwealth have any existing projects on site at the MDC?
See the project information above. As further context, the Commonwealth’s FY24 – FY28 Capital Investment Plan, released in June 2023, dedicated funding for demolition and environmental remediation of structurally deficient building/structures on the MDC site.
As of March 2024, DCAMM has conducted planning to identify the scope of this project and determine the number of buildings that will be demolished. DCAMM’s planning incorporates steps to demolish building foundations to two feet below grade and to terminate utilities serving the demolished buildings.
The scope of the demolition project will include safe abatement of hazardous building materials that will be disturbed as part of that work, in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and best practices.
What is the future of the MDC?
As authorized by legislation (Chapter 181 of the Acts of 2022), DCAMM is in the process of transferring parcels of the MDC to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). (See above.)
The Commonwealth is engaged in ongoing collaboration with Monson town leadership and local stakeholders as part of our ongoing efforts to determine potential reuse options for the MDC parcels that are available for redevelopment, not including the land being transferred to DFG and MDAR.