Fort Devens Reuse Plan

The Fort Devens Military Base Reuse Plan provided a framework to return this vital asset to a catalyst for economic growth. The repositioning of the base was guided by three uses for the property, including innovation and technology, open space and recreation, and inter-modal transportation uses. VHB’s integrated services team used Geographical Information System (GIS) to map site conditions, including environmental systems and existing infrastructure, and to understand the site’s constraints and development capacity. The result—a master development strategy to reposition this important community asset. The reuse plan triggered immediate economic development projects, including the development of Gillette Corporation facilities, an inter-modal facility for Guilford Railroad Company, and a new biologics manufacturing facility for Bristol-Myers Squibb. Since 1995, VHB has been an integral part of the evolution of the base. We’ve partnered with biopharma companies to develop the critical infrastructure necessary to support manufacturing and lab space, which helped bring critical medicine to the market and jobs to the community. The former military base is now home to more than 100 businesses, with more than 6,000 employees and contributes an estimated $3.8 billion to the $600 billion Massachusetts economy.