Press Release: 11/15/2022

Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Site Readiness Program in Brockton

Part of Community One Stop for Growth Portfolio, Program is Awarding $2,856,150 to 12 Projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

11/14/2022

Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development

BROCKTON — Today, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba, and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials in Brockton to celebrate the Site Readiness Program awards, which total $2,856,150 to 12 projects in 11 communities. Among the awards, the City of Brockton received a $125,000 grant to further an initial master planning effort for future bio-manufacturing uses near Good Samaritan Hospital, as well as a $30,000 grant to develop an RFQ/RFP to identify a private entity to partner with for the acquisition and redevelopment of the 30-plus-acre CSX rail yard at the heart of the Trout Brook Urban Renewal District.

“The Commonwealth’s Site Readiness Program is a critical tool that helps local partners prepare a site for development and speed up the time it takes to put shovels in the ground,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Since creating this program 2016, our administration has invested over $18.7 million to further the development of 80 projects across Massachusetts.”

“Our Administration is excited to award nearly $2.9 million in grants that will allow cities and towns to meet their unique infrastructure and economic development goals,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “This program has proven to be a catalyst for communities looking to reactivate prime sites into hubs of industry and commerce.”

“Many communities have large-scale, underutilized properties with the potential to be a job creator and revenue generator,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as chair of MassDevelopment’s Board of Directors. “MassDevelopment’s Site Readiness Program is an important part of our One Stop portfolio, helping communities accelerate the development of these sites into actively used properties that can contribute to local economies.”

“This funding is readying prime sites for development in communities across the Commonwealth, including two here in the Gateway City of Brockton,” said Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba. “Our goal is to support cities, towns, and their economic development partners as they work to advance locally identified parcels for development, attract end users, and create jobs.”

“These dollars are the seeds to some of the most important projects in each of these communities; the site readiness funding will advance them all and help the people on the ground get them across the finish line,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “MassDevelopment is grateful to both the Baker-Polito Administration and Legislature for their continued support of this valuable resource.”

Administered by MassDevelopment, the Site Readiness Program aims to boost Massachusetts’ supply of large, well-located, project-ready sites; accelerate private-sector investment in industrial and commercial projects; and support the conversion of abandoned sites and obsolete facilities into clean, actively used, tax-generating properties. Created as part of the 2016 economic development legislation, An Act Relative to Job Creation and Workforce Development, the Site Readiness Program’s first seven rounds provided nearly $18.7 million for 80 projects in almost every region of the Commonwealth, increasing the development potential of 6,665 acres across Massachusetts. On January 14, 2021, the Baker-Polito Administration signed new economic development legislation, An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth, providing $15 million in reauthorizations for the Site Readiness Program.

The program is part of Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal that provides a streamlined, collaborative review process of 12 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, and infrastructure. Altogether, this round of the One Stop is awarding more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities. The full list of grants can be found here.

Through this round of the One Stop, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development received 523 applications from 207 communities representing every region of the Commonwealth. Of the 337 applications awarded, 31% are located in a rural or small town; 32% are located in a Gateway City; and 43% are located in a Housing Choice Community. This investment is expected to directly support the creation of 6,950 new housing units across the Commonwealth, including 5,068 new market-rate units and 1,882 new affordable units.

MassDevelopment, the state’s development finance agency and land bank, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2022, MassDevelopment financed or managed 356 projects generating investment of more than $1.69 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are estimated to create or support 11,080 jobs and build or preserve 1,778 housing units.

“I would like to thank Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, and MassDevelopment for supporting our city in the redevelopment and economic opportunity through this Site Readiness Program,” said Senator Michael D. Brady. “This would allow Brockton to clean up a 30-year-old abandoned rail yard, promote more urban space, welcome new businesses, create new tax revenue and allow for much-needed housing.”

"For decades residents and I have called to end the practice of using the natural resource of Trout Brook as an industrial dump,” said Representative Michelle DuBois. “I am so pleased that Brockton's Mayor Sullivan is responding by prioritizing plans to rehabilitate Trout Brook for Brockton families to enjoy."

"Brockton is undergoing a renaissance, especially downtown and other areas of the city that have been under-utilized for decades,” said Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan. “This funding will assist us in getting these properties prepared for re-development. I thank Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito and our other partners on Beacon Hill for doing their part to help us reimagine and improve our City of Champions."

Site Readiness Program Awards:

City of Brockton – $125,000

The City of Brockton will use funds to further an initial master planning effort for future bio-manufacturing uses near Good Samaritan Hospital. Supported activities include the implementation of an Urban Renewal Plan, preparing an Environmental Notification Form, developing a DIF Plan and Program, Transportation Plan, and zoning revisions to implement form-based zoning.

City of Brockton – $30,000

The City of Brockton will use funds to leverage previous due diligence work to develop an RFQ/RFP to identify a private entity to partner with for the acquisition and redevelopment of the 30-plus-acre CSX rail yard at the heart of the Trout Brook Urban Renewal District.

Town of Douglas – $529,300

The Town of Douglas will use funds for design and engineering to produce bid documents and specifications for North Street infrastructure improvements. This work will support the development of 220 acres of industrially zoned land.

Town of Dudley – $50,000

The Town of Dudley will use funds to develop a feasibility study and conceptual plans for an industrial park for life sciences or advanced manufacturing. The study will focus on a 57.8-acre town-owned site that is zoned primarily for light industrial uses.

City of Easthampton – $175,000

The City of Easthampton will use funds for the creation of a concept level master plan and access way improvements for the Pleasant Street Mills neighborhood. This work would support the activation of roughly 650,000-square-feet of mill space.

City of Gardner – $150,500

The City of Gardner will use funds for various activities related to the development of a new 106-acre business park including: master planning, site survey, wetlands delineation, schematic and development documents, and an ENF filing.

Town of Groveland – $191,150

The Town of Groveland will use funds for a feasibility study, planning, civil engineering, market analysis, and master plan for a 62-acre parcel of commercial and industrial-zoned town-owned land.

City of Haverhill – $300,000

The City of Haverhill will use funds for activities related to the development of a new 65-acre business park with the potential for 800,000-square-feet of industrial/commercial space. Activities include site survey, environmental review, wetlands delineation, traffic impact study, and natural resource evaluation.

Westmass Area Development Corporation (Ludlow) – $500,000

Westmass Area Development Corporation will use funds to continue the successful redevelopment of Ludlow Mills, specifically for the construction of electrical upgrades to allow for the full redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills complex. This upgrade would support 26 buildings and activate 460,000-square-feet of currently vacant or underutilized space.

Town of Southwick – $134,500

The Town of Southwick will use funds to support site engineering and permitting services for a roadway/infrastructure project that will connect Sam West Road with Hudson Drive. This will unlock a 150-acre parcel that could accommodate approximately 320,000-square-feet of building space for office use and 360,000-square-feet of building space for industrial uses.

Town of Westminster – $418,700

The Town of Westminster will use funds to obtain permits for and complete a 75% design for the reconstruction of the Route 2A/Depot Road/Batherick Road intersection in front of the Westminster Business Park. Once complete, this will enable a recently approved 600,000-square-foot warehouse to operate and aid in development of the remaining business park parcels.

New Garden Park Inc. (Worcester) – $252,000

New Garden Park Inc. will use funds for design, engineering, and permitting related to the conversion of a private road to a public road. This work will unlock roughly 51 acres at the Saint-Gobain site and allow for the development of an estimated 1 million-square-feet of modern manufacturing development, resulting in up to 1,000 jobs.

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