July 28, 2008

Vanasse, Hangen & Brustlin

I remember when this Watertown company, website, opened an office in Union Station and I was kind of surprised. Today I read about plans for North Main Street in the newspaper and guess who did the three-phase 15 year plan. Vanassse Hangen Brustlin.

Although I still can not find Super Bore's story on-line and I left the newspaper at home, guess who is going to do the $400,000 18 month study on the East-West Connector? Yup, Vanasse Hangen and Brustlin. Guess who they are doing that study with? The Central Mass Regional Planning Office, the other office tenant at Union Station.

Is it just me, but are there not some inherent conflicts here??

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is Dewey, Screwum & Howe also located there , too?

Bill Randell said...

I am opening my own consultanting firm and will call it PBJ. No not Peanut Butter and Jelly, but Paulie, Bill and Jahn.

We will rent some space from the City. How about the Aud to make sure we get some bids.

If all goes well we will hire Harry, wearing his Z Cavarices, as a receptionist.

David Z. said...

Where do I fit in with this consulting firm? Is it because I'm a glass half-full kind of guy that there is no mention of me joining your esteemed firm? LOL

Bill Randell said...

Dave, you will be our training specialist and P & R.

By that hold community meetings where you seek public input and as soon as the meeting ends throw all the notes out.

We will just grab old reports from prior consultants, change the cover pages add a few new pictures and graphs and we will be done.

David Z. said...

That sounds like just the position for me. However I don't come cheap, I want to move on up to the West Side so I'll be looking for some big bucks.

Anonymous said...

Wonder if their east west road proposal will recomending taking the Aud...........that way the city has a valid reason for razing a war memorial.

This insane..most any road will have to have land takings .........and city council will not endorse it.....so why bother and if we are going to have an east west road..........then maybe the airport plans should ahve been put onhold until the road issu is settled.............or maybe the new road will then result in another master plan for the airport.

What ever happen to Mr Rushtons so called Mill St Corridor group/ proposal/idea.

Anonymous said...

"We will rent some space from the City. How about the Aud to make sure we get some bids."

if we got these kind of funds..I got space for rent:>) If they can pad the nest can't we??

Bill Randell said...

Just thought of our logo. A peanut, butter and jelly sandwich with the tag line "Back to Basics".

Our first office will be the Aud but then we could always have a branch office on Chandler Street.

Bill Randell said...

We need a liaison, anyone?

Anonymous said...

we'll need a "silly bloggah"..I'll apply for this job

Any bio on Nemeth? What is his pedigree to have a weekly writing gig-once write at the National Review..has he made any money? saved anyone from aburning building?

What sets him aside from us "silly bloggahs"...

Anonymous said...

I am down for the liason position. 100K a year and you would hear a peep out of me.

Anonymous said...

Mr Nemeth is an expert in many areas..........I mean just recently pontificating in the areas of Druggie re-hab (Narcan), The airport, school super. search, etc.

The newspaper bizz has had a vitual monoploy on daily printed media for 200+ years. Now they are actually threanted by the bloggershere and the likes of bloggers and CraigLists advertisers.....and cannot handle any competition b/c they never really had to compete.....not unlike AT&T and the ma Bells of the world up until 1984.

And when they get a littel competition re opinions on the future of the airport.....well you know what I mean......

Mr Nemeth has probably recently read that the Cincinatti newpspaers are off 90% since 1996........... T & G will soon be a once weekly supplement section to the Baaaaawstin Globe.........called: Beyond Metro-West.

Soon newspapers will be the Aud Man Out

Anonymous said...

Tim, sorry to be a liason you first have to know where all the skeletons and dirty laundry are buried re: Worc politics and the daily operations of the city.

I still have a hard time understanding why some people weren't cut when O'brien rode into town with his Terminator Hat on........six shooter guns ablazing

Bill Randell said...

Tim:

After an extensive national search, rivaling that of the School Superintend search, I am proud to say PBJ Consulting has hired Tim MacDonald as the PBJ liaison.

One of the first projects Tim will work on is an event at the Commons, we will pass out free PBJ sandwiches for lunch for skaters on the Common.


Sincerely

Bill Randell
PBJ Consulting
VP of Specials Projects

Anonymous said...

The receptionist wants a clothing allowance to buy some Z. Cavaricci's...

http://vintagegent.com/2008/03/31/caviricci-redux/


Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA

Anonymous said...

Bill have you filed to be a 503c non profit entity.......so we can beat the city out of any property taxes and also so we can apply to washington & beacon hill for add'l funding.

I think I'd make a better PR guy..........always putting a positive spin on everything......i can even make Harrys dirty Sneakers shine.....and I'd hire paulie to put together a road race that followed the proposed path of the new east-west corridor.

If we cant unltimately find a tenant for the AUD.......how about we group all teh Comm. Dev'ment Groups togeterh under one roof at the AUD...just think of the economies of scale to be had......plus city will get rent out of the deal.........and maybe they'll build some low income housing where the Lincoln Sq memorial is now.......and the sites they all currently occupy can be converted to more low income housing starting with 822 Main St and Bellevue St.

Anonymous said...

i am looking for a job too bill, dave m, there are no campaigns to work on, im in on pbj as a junior associate, here's hoping to make senior partner!

Bill Randell said...

Dave M:

FYI

Hiring at PBJ is solely based on nepostism and who you know. It has absolutely nothing to do with your qualifications.


Thanks

Bill

Anonymous said...

so your telling me Senor Jahn that Mr. Nemeth has no real qualifications..made no big money, has never saved anyone from a burning building, worked on the AIDS problem in Africa or stared in a movie like William Buckley..he is just another silly writer like the rest of us pushing our ideas but perhaps with better punctuation and the T&G throws him a C-Note every so often

Gabe said...

Hey Bill,

I thought the same thing about the Union Station tenants doing all these research projects.

Seriously folks for less than 100,000 the city could put together a comprehensive, colorful and inviting neighborhood guide to Worcester that would do more for the city right now and really open up the doors for all the grandiose dreams most of us have for this place.

Gabe said...

online neighborhood guide that is

Bill Randell said...

Lets for arguements sake you spend millions (how much did Union Station cost?), say it was 20 million but who is counting. What was the dollar amount? You put the space out to lease and nobody wants it. Then you end up having two tenants, who also in turn get monies for consulting working from the landlord.

Lets pretend I owned a building and was the Mayor of Worcester (heaven forbid). I spend the same millions to rehab a building and can not get tenants. Eventually I get two tenants, who end up getting contracts from the City of Worcester. Everyone would be yelling conflict, would they not???

I am not saying there is necessarily a conflict, but the question needs to be asked does it not??? Better yet lets just say PBJ Consulting (our new firm) and Vanasse, Hangen & Brustlin were to respond to a bid by the City of Worcester and we are identical in our responses. Who gets the award? The respondent who is a tenant of the City of Worcester or the one who is not?


Bill

Anonymous said...

Next there will be change orders to this contractual consulting agreements..................adding even more money to the deal.

I also get a sense that some who "volunteer" their time, services, etc to the city get the inside track on bidding proposals with the city.......and given that the awarding is always a subjective process......well you know what I mean

Anonymous said...

Wild Will..made it to the diner on Cambridge Street today..nice boxcar diner

"The 101" I think it is called

Bill Randell said...

Paulie:

The 101 is excellent. Week-ends a little too crowded but they have the best Italian Toast going, similar to the Boulevard. Ronnie Bello must have brought over the recipe since she moonlights at the 101...

Highly recommend to all blog readers especially during the week. Right on Camrbidge Street by Maloney Field.

If you are into the old dining cars, you have to check it out.

Anonymous said...

these diners in worcester are next on my blog also..Club Universe

another unregulated crap bar in Woostah that will drive good residential folks away (may be an oxymoron)

http://www.telegram.com/article/20080709/DIGESTS/807090654/1008/RSS01&source=rss

Anonymous said...

Paulie, The Numbers has always been a rough spot.