Business View Civil and Municipal | May 2021

119 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MAY 2021 TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS people. To attract other new businesses, the city is working with the owner of the recently closed Silver City Galleria Mall property to develop that 130-acre site. O’Connell reports, “There hasn’t been a formal announcement, but the most likely use is going to be some type of warehousing distribution center. There are over a million square feet that will be developed, between four different buildings.” Plans are also underway for a new commuter rail train station, expected to be completed in 2023, that will connect Taunton to Boston and the South Shore. According to the Mayor, “It is a great opportunity for Taunton, for people to come into our city, and for our residents to use public transportation to go to jobs outside of the city. One thing we see is people that live in cities are choosing to move to more rural areas outside of Boston, and Taunton is becoming a choice location because we are very affordable. We are a bit of a larger city and we offer a lot of services and recreation and entertainment.” come in. We ask them about their workforce needs. We utilize BCC as an excellent partner in the community. One thing we have learned is the labor force in Southeastern Massachusetts and in Taunton is changing. We need English as a second language training, and more skills training.” The Justice Resource Institute (JRI) is another valuable support organization for residents of Taunton. The Institute specializes in social justice, and offers diverse programming to meet different needs of underserved individuals and families in the city. O’Connell shares, “JRI provides an array of vital services in our community, including special education for children and support and resources for women. They have been a vital partner in helping to lift people up and keep them safe.” A great boost to the community during the pandemic was the opening of a new Amazon facility in Taunton, employing several hundred Courtsey of Kenneth Zirkel