Baystate Health Hires Westmass to Assist with Next Steps for Mary Lane

SPRINGFIELD — Westmass Area Development Corp. will partner with Baystate Health to assist in the decommissioning of the Baystate Mary Lane facility in the town of Ware. Westmass will work as Baystate Health’s project manager and perform work related to evaluating current conditions of the buildings on the campus and developing strategies in coordination with qualified contractors. In addition, staff at Westmass will meet regularly with town officials and departments regarding ongoing project work being done at Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center and will take the lead in securing necessary permits for any work conducted on site.

The last three services located at Baystate Mary Lane will move to Baystate Wing Hospital by December 2023, according to Ron Bryant, president of Baystate Health Regional Hospitals.

“I am pleased Westmass has already begun their outreach to the town of Ware to inform them of Baystate Health’s plans and necessary work at Mary Lane prior to our exit from the facility at the end of this year,” Bryant said. “We continue our commitment to support the town of Ware and the surrounding communities.”

Bryant meets monthly with volunteer members serving on Baystate Wing Hospital’s Community Benefits Advisory Council, which includes community members and service agencies from Ware and area communities who provide their input to guide continued investment in support of community-health needs in Ware and throughout the Eastern Region.

Westmass and Baystate Health have communicated with the town timelines for abatement work to be conducted in some of the vacant buildings and will submit a permit later this month for the demolition of the facility. The demolition permit process in the town of Ware can take up to nine months for final approval, and, as such, it is unlikely any actual demolition will occur prior to early 2024.

Concurrently, discussions between Baystate Health, Westmass, and the town of Ware regarding future use of the parcel will be evaluated in the months ahead.

“Given the expertise Westmass holds in project development strategies,” Bryant said, “our hope is that interests will align with all parties as discussions continue in the months to come.”