Devens Panel Votes to Form Data Subcommittee
A Devens panel heard that fixing eight decaying historic buildings at Vicksburg Square could cost $44 million.
Other Committee · Meeting of August 19, 2026
AYER — A Devens panel heard that fixing eight decaying historic buildings at Vicksburg Square could cost $44 million. MassDevelopment's Eric Hoganson told the Devens Jurisdiction Framework Committee that stabilization costs have more than tripled since 2017, from $8.9 million to over $31 million, with roughly $9.5 million needed just for asbestos and PCB abatement. Harvard resident Paul Green told the panel "Mass Development owned these buildings for 30 years while they decayed" after paying $17 million for the property in 1996.
Executive Vice President Michael Sweeney called it "a safety issue... a mitigation issue... a cost issue" but set no demolition-or-renovation deadline. The committee separately voted unanimously to form a subcommittee to standardize jurisdiction data shared by Ayer, Harvard, Shirley, the Devens Enterprise Commission and MassDevelopment, and Ayer's Select Board appointed Katie Neville as the town's alternate on the panel.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,191 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of August 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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