In early 2004, I attended my first Planning Board meeting and the A.W. Perry?BCBS project was discussed. With the information then known to me, this deal was not in the best interests of our town.
First let me state that BCBS is a great Massachusetts based company. It is a non-profit company and there fore does not pay property taxes like regular company's do to their cities and towns. While BCBS has been located in Rockland, they have paid nothing to us, but to be fair, they have donated to community projects over the years.
A.W. Perry owns 236 acres of adjacent land in Hingham where the new BCBS Headquarters will be established. The BCBS building is on 32 acres of it. There are four other parcels of land yet to be developed. Back in 2004, Commerce Rd. was extended into Hingham as part of this project. It should be noted that the residents of Hingham voted and refused to allow access to the property from thier side.
Rockland is providing the only access to the property as well as water & sewer services. BCBS will be paying the same water & sewer rates that you and I pay as residents. Now that the building is almost ready for occupancy, we can now understand this deal a bit more. On September 26,2006 the transaction for the property closed in which A.W. Perry was paid $94,653,389 for the property and building by BCBS.
Under the PILOT Agreement, The Town of Hingham will received 60% of the taxable rate based on the property's fair market value. |
