Springfield Mayor Taps Longtime Neal Aide To Become City's Chief Development Officer

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has tapped a long-time aide to Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal  as the city's new Chief Development Officer.
Mayor Domenic Sarno says Kevin Kennedy has a record of competence and pushing deals through -- qualities he says the city needs as it continues to recover from last decade's financial problems and the more recent natural disasters. During a long tenure as Congressman Neal's chief economic development assistant, Sarno says Kennedy has skillfully worked with varying public and private sector forces in advancing several major projects for the city.
“Whether it’s the Data center, the Federal courthouse, the State Street Corridor as that has moved forward.”
Kennedy says he intends to bring the same approach to his new role overseeing various city departments.
“The first side of my business is to implement the Rebuild Springfield plan, recover from the tornado, recover from the Nor'easter. Look forward to hopefully redoing Union Station, something that I see as a personal challenge. I know that the Congressman and the Mayor very much want this, something that no one else has been able to do for the past 50 years, but we are going to be able to do it.”
Kennedy says he expects the final design of the Union Station project, a $70 million inter-modal transit hub, to be completed by early next year. The lifelong Springfield resident immediately takes over the $125,000 a year post following the resignation of previous CDO John Judge in May. Christopher Moskal, who's served as interim chief, moves on to direct the city's Redevelopment Authority.