'I still have a fire in the belly': Koch outlines plans for potential seventh term

QUINCY − From his office in city hall, Mayor Thomas Koch talked about his past accomplishments and future plans as he prepares for the homestretch of this year's mayoral campaign. He hopes to fend off a challenge from Councilor-at-Large Anne Mahoney.

Koch first mentioned education, which he calls "the great equalizer." He said he has kept class sizes manageable and addressed the needs of families and students with special challenges, citing construction of the Richard DeCristofaro Learning Center, a $30 million special education school nearing completion.

The Learning Center will save the city money over time by eliminating the costs of sending students out of district, but, more importantly, it will keep families in the community, Koch said.

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The mayor talked about plans for a new Squantum elementary school, which is being designed. It would be the fourth new school building constructed during Koch's tenure supported with money from the state School Building Authority.

Koch said he has leveraged strong relationships with state leaders to fund local projects, including $150 million from the School Building Authority.

"We're head and shoulders above other communities in that regard," Koch said.

Once Squantum is completed, Koch said he has plans for a fifth new school, in West Quincy. The city acquired the the former St. Mary's School from the Boston archdiocese in 2019 for $2.7 million. Koch said he'd like to build Abigail Adams Elementary School on the property.

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Plans for more housing in Quincy

Regarding housing, Koch said the first step is to get more units into the market to bring down prices. He cited a number of large developments in the city that either created affordable units or generated money for the city's Affordable Housing Trust.

He noted construction of the Joe Finn Building for workforce housing on Hancock Street, the Thomas Kiley housing for veterans and The Watson, a 140-apartment building near the old shipyard. He plans 16 new family units on the O'Brien Towers property in Germantown.

Koch said that while he's championed housing production, he also has preserved the city's character.

"A strong city is the result of strong neighborhoods," he said. "We've been protecting those neighborhoods from encroachment."

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He said the larger housing developments, such as The Abby in North Quincy, multiple developments in Quincy Center and Elevation near Quincy Adams Station are near mass transit stations.

"Now we can add Wollaston," Koch said, "though not at the same density as Quincy Center because we want to reflect the character of that community."

Koch also talked about his efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change.

"One of the best things you can do is to plant trees," he said. "It's one of the best things for the environment. We've been planting them by the thousands, and I'm proud of that."

He highlighted the Furnace Brook restoration project to alleviate flooding in West Quincy, where the topography, Koch said, forms a bowl sloping down from the Blue Hills. The meandering design aims to increase the brook's capacity to hold water during severe rainstorms, Koch said.

Koch's economic development plans for Quincy

In terms of economic development, Koch said his focus from Day 1 has been Crown Colony, Quincy Center and the areas around the city's MBTA Red Line stations. Koch said that when he entered office, the downtown was in severe decline.

Now it's a vibrant community where people live, work and enjoy spending leisure time, Koch said. He said the private investment his administration has helped steer toward the downtown has enabled the creation of quality public spaces, such as the Hancock Adams Common.

"I'd like to continue the work we begun," Koch said. "I still have a fire in the belly. We've delivered big time for the people of Quincy, and I want to continue that effort."

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch talks about his plans if he is reelected