The $12.7 billion five-year transportation bond bill debated Thursday in the Statehouse could include funding for the first phase of reconstruction on Interstate 91 in Springfield, north-south commuter rail using surplus MBTA trains and the $13.5 million replacement of the Route 147 bridge over the Westfield River between Agawam and West Springfield.

Kennedy’s comments occurred after news that MGM, proposing an $800 million casino project in the South End, formally asked the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in a letter dated April 16, to not grant the license pending some resolution of a court case related to a proposed statewide ballot question on the 2011 casino law.

The advancement of these skills is important as there continues to be a lack of people qualified for manufacturing positions, said Governor Deval Patrick. There are currently 250,000 people looking for work, he said, and some of the manufacturing jobs that are available cannot be filled because people lack the technical skills. With the move to advanced manufacturing, the skills have changed drastically and require a different kind of education.

Tech Foundry will be holding an open house April 23, for teachers, students and volunteers at their new headquarters on 1391 Main St.  Founded by Paragus IT CEO Delcie Bean, Tech Foundry is a nonprofit education and job placement program for high school students looking to work in the world of informational technology. With partners such as Mass Mutual, UMass and Baystate Health, Tech Foundry has raised nearly $450,000 to get started.  In the near term, the program seeks to educate ambitious local students in order to create a homegrown workforce for the many area businesses looking for tech ...

FloDesign Sonics, a Wilbraham firm working on a way to use sound to separate particles from a liquid in drug development, has gotten a $10 million investment led by Bright Capital. The company said the Series A financing round also came from Springfield-based Ventry Industries, James Waters, founder of Waters Corp., and Jonathan Fleming of Oxford Biosciences.

Kevin Kennedy, the city's chief development officer, said on Wednesday that the city's host agreement calls for MGM to rent 44,000 square feet of space at Union Station. Under the deal, MGM would spend approximately $6.75 million for a build-out suitable for the station. If Union Station is not ready for occupancy by the time the proposed casino opens in the South End, the company will pay $500,000 per year to the Springfield Redevelopment Authority.

Hampden Bank recently received an award for Best Overall Performance by a bank from the MassHousing agency.  This recognition, reserved for those Massachusetts banks dedicated to providing loans to low-income borrowers, was recently presented at the annual MassHousing awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts. Hampden Bank also received recognition in several other categories, including top producer, most loans made to low-income borrowers, second most loans in Hampden County and second most loans to minority borrowers statewide.

The new bridge, built higher to allow the railroad to run double-stacked freight trains, has been open for some months now and workers are also realigning the road too match the new bridge. The project is scheduled to be completed in August, according to the state Department of Transportation. The $6.5 million bridge is part of a larger $25.8 million state-funded railway access project to enable the double-stacked trains.

Springfield Technical Community College has announced a new summer program to allow incoming students a chance to get an early start on their college credits by exploring the possibility of a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines . The STEM Starter Academy will allow participants to earn a $1,000 stipend; take free college courses including: the college success seminar, essentials of engineering and math; participate in field trips; and learn from guest speakers and STEM experts working in the field.

The Building Owners and Managers Association has awarded 1550 Main in Springfield its Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) award in the government building category of the Middle Atlantic Conference. This is the second consecutive year the redevelopment of the former federal building has won this award, according to a news release from MassDevelopment.