Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

159 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Framingham was incorporated in 1700, so it is no stranger to the need for modernization. While countless investments have been made in the city’s infrastructure over the years, more work remains. The city is involved in a complete reconstruction of the Union Avenue entrance to downtown Framingham. That will include adding new traffic lights, widening the sidewalk, and lighting upgrades funded by Massachusetts. Underground utilities nearby are being redone as well. Several paving projects are underway throughout the city and will continue well into 2023, Sisitsky says. This project will include the creation of additional pedestrian crossings, speed bumps, and lighting to make downtown Framingham even more walkable. “All of this is designed to significantly improve our quality of life,” he adds. One of the most notable infrastructure projects is FRAMINGHAM, MA a partnership with Eversource, an energy delivery company that is building an innovative heating and cooling system using renewable power from the earth within the city limits. This geothermal project uses wells, piping, and pumps to pull the earth’s heat out of the ground to warm buildings in winter and pumps heat from buildings back into the ground in summer to cool them. The renewable energy that comes from the sun’s rays and temperatures produced in the earth’s core. This energy can be used to heat and cool indoor spaces and produce hot water in conjunction with geothermal heat pumps. It will provide residents and businesses with significant savings on gas and electricity costs. One of the “test sites” is a city fire station. Says Sisitsky, “I love this job. I learn something new from our residents every day. We appreciate their interest and active participation in city planning.”