STCC Technology Park losing founding chairman
BYLINE: KENNETH L. ROSS, STAFF
LENGTH: 1070 words
If plans always went according to plan, Brian Q. Corridan would have stepped down as chairman of the STCC Technology Park three years ago.
But, as it turned out, Andrew M. Scibelli, president of Springfield Technical Community College, beat him to the retirement window.
So Corridan, who along with Scibelli and Springfield lawyer Gary L. Fialky, was instrumental in the formation and success of the Technology Park, is giving up the chairmanship of the STCC Assistance Corp. at the end of the month after serving as the park's only chief in its 12-year history.
"Three years ago, I was not going to accept another term," said Corridan, who is president and chief executive of Corridan & Co., a Springfield investment firm.
"It's a second career, and it's pro bono. But at that point, Andy announced he would be leaving. We both couldn't leave at the same time, so I agreed to another term. Now I think it's ready for a new set of eyes at the top."
The Technology Park, which required state legislation to form - and received $4.5 million in state funds to help start - now is the site of about 20 organizations that, combined, employ almost 1,000 people.
Robert J. Greeley, leasing agent, said that of the 350,000 square feet of available space, about 35,000 is available for rental.
"As a percent of occupancy, that's pretty good," he said.
The Technology Park wasn't a sure thing at the beginning when, in October 1996, STCC acquired the former Digital Equipment site across Federal Street from its campus for $4 million.
"What we faced initially was a surprise," Corridan said. "There was a reluctance on the part of almost everyone in the city and state government to grasp the concept and get on board."
Partly that was because there was no precedent in the state for a combined private and public project of the type.
"It was not always easy to explain it to them," Corridan said. "Andy had the vision to do it, but it took two years to work through the hurdles."
He recalled that the leadership of the Chamber of the Commerce at the time was concerned the project would take property off the tax rolls. Others still believed that a big manufacturer would come up Interstate 91 and rescue Springfield. The agreement to give the city payments in lieu of taxes helped soften local opposition.
"It was an opportunity for the college to get into the economic development phase in a very large way," Corridan said.
"STCC as an institution is absolutely landlocked. So it would have been ridiculous for us to have this other bookend across the street and not try to secure it to the benefit of the college, the city and the state."
There were other challenges besides the political ones.
"One was the condition of the facilities," he said. "It needed buildouts, and some of the (old Springfield Armory) property looked like a bombed-out section of Dresden. I think the only living things that had been there in 20 years were pigeons and squirrels, and it looked and smelled like it."
The Technology Park became a mission of STCC, said Corridan, who had been a member of the college board of trustees for 10 years and chairman for seven years.
"This is the public-private partnership that everyone wants to talk about. The college and the tech park are sited on a location that used to make weapons of war. Now we foster dreams and build for the future."
David B. Panagore, the city of Springfield's chief economic development officer, will fill in as temporary chairman of the Technology Park board. He is vice chairman of the board.
"The board will miss him," Panagore said. " I appreciate his leadership skills and sense of humanity."
Panagore called the Technology Park an "invaluable asset" for Springfield.
"It needs to be used as an engine for the growth of jobs," he said. "It shouldn't just be an office park but be generating cutting-edge technology jobs in connection with the college."
Scibelli recalled that he, Corridan and Fialky made many trips to Boston looking for support for the park when it was being created.
"We were breaking new ground, and Brian was a great choice to be chairman," Scibelli said.
"He always does his homework, he's a great spokesman for the park, and he always made sure the board was moving forward. He's in large part responsible for the success of the assistance corporation. He's a terrific guy, and they're going to miss him."
Fialky, chairman of the corporate department of the Springfield law firm Bacon & Wilson, is still legal counsel for the STCC Assistance Corp.
"Brian from day one was instrumental in the formation of the Technology Park," he said. "He helped Andy get it started and then stayed on as chairman."
It was not an easy task, he said, because it required a change in legislation among other things.
"On the whole, the structure and purchase of the property from Digital took a lot of creativity," Fialky said. "But for Brian and Andy, it never would have happened."
He said the Technology Park has become one of the better economic development efforts within the city.
"He's going to be a tough act to follow, but Brian does that in the community wherever he goes," Fialky said.
Corridan also serves on the boards of Westmass Area Development Corp. and Baystate Health and its investment committee.
The Technology Park has been managed by Appleton Corp. of Holyoke, an affiliate of the O'Connell Companies.
Paul M. Stelzer, president of Appleton, said Corridan has helped steer the park into different industries. It started by concentrating on telecommunications and now is looking toward being a center for photovoltaic energy.
"Brian is not only the ribbon on the package," Stelzer said. "He's also the whole package."
STCC TECHNOLOGY PARK
Tenants of the park, which is across the street from Springfield Technical Community College, according to STCC Technology Park and R.J. Greeley Co.:
Crocker Communications
Inc.
Appleton Corp.
Fibertech Networks
FutureWorks
Global Crossing
GlobalNAPs Inc.
R.J. Greeley Co.
MAP Internet Inc.
Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
MindWing Concepts Inc.
Molly's Catering
National Center for Telecommunications Tech.
NorthEast Optic Network Inc.
One Communications
Springboard Technology
Talking Information Center
Technology Applications Center of the STCC's Mechanical Engineering Technology Department
Valley Radio Reading Service
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.
Western Massachusetts Electric Co.
WilTel Communications