Devens Developments

April 28, 2016

Last year, an electric car test-drive event showed how Devens can serve as a facilitator for innovative technology (“State to steer on self-driving cars,” April 24). As reported by the Herald, the commonwealth now plans to turn Devens into a central testing facility for self-driving cars.

MassDevelopment, which manages the redevelopment of this 4,400-acre former U.S. Army base, has been in talks about how Devens can be helpful in testing these technologies.

What the article overlooked, however, is how much activity is already taking place at the former base. Devens boasts 91 establishments that employ more than 4,000 people, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Nypro, and Quiet Logistics. About 350 residents call Devens home, with more on the way in the community’s newest neighborhood, Emerson Green. Devens also serves as a recreational hub for north-central Massachusetts thanks to MassAudubon bird walks, a disc golf league, and acres of open space and playing fields.

The people who come to Devens to live, work, and play look forward to other innovators joining the community.

— Marty Jones, president and CEO, MassDevelopment