Fall River receives $2+ million to upgrade drainage at flood prone Stafford Sq, conduct parking study, Boston area also gets grants

REVERE – This week, Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Housing & Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus announced $164 million for 338 grant awards to support local economic development projects in 161 communities across the state. The awards were made through the Community One Stop for Growth, an application portal overseen by EOED that provides a streamlined process for municipalities and organizations to apply for 13 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, infrastructure, and housing development.

The grants were announced during a kickoff celebration at Suffolk Downs in Revere honoring recipients of awards through the MassWorks and HousingWorks grant programs, two of the largest programs in the One Stop. Revere is a recipient of a MassWorks award for the redevelopment of Suffolk Downs, as well as a Housing Choice program grant.

“One Stop is a vital economic development tool to spark growth, spur development and strengthen local economies across the state,” said Governor Healey. “These funds will help make possible community-led projects that build vibrant downtowns and unlock economic potential in every region of Massachusetts, while creating new jobs, housing, and opportunity.”

“Building strong communities is essential to advancing economic development across Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “The One Stop for Growth allows us to partner with cities and towns statewide to support their economic development goals while empowering them to pursue their vision for growth. We’re excited to announce this year’s awards to 161 Massachusetts communities and can’t wait to see economic progress they help make possible in the years to come.”

Through this round of the One Stop, EOED received 783 applications from 239 communities representing every region of the state. Of the 336 applications awarded, 26 percent are located in a rural or small town, 33 percent are located in a Gateway City, and 61 percent are located in an MBTA Community, and 49 percent are located in a Housing Choice Community. EOED estimates the One Stop awards will help create more 8,000 new housing units across the state including 3,000 new affordable units, 10,000 new permanent jobs, and more than 5.4 million square feet of new commercial development.

“The One Stop is an essential vehicle through which our administration can invest in Massachusetts communities, advance equitable and easy access to state resources and support the foundation upon which our state economy is built,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “We are building an economy that works for everyone, in every region of Massachusetts, and we’re thrilled to make these investments in more than 330 local economic development projects around the state.”

As the administration vigorously works to turn the tide of the housing crisis, easy access to One Stop is an important tool for communities,” said Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus. This portal simplifies the application process to tap into valuable funding to programs like HousingWorks and Housing Choice Community Grants, programs that allow communities to begin to unlock more housing where they need it.”

The FY24 One Stop awards include:

MassWorks Infrastructure Program – $91 million awarded to 53 projects

HousingWorks Infrastructure Program – $33,528,797 awarded to 15 projects

Underutilized Properties Program – $16,552,817 awarded to 39 projects

Rural and Small Town Development Fund – $5,000,000 awarded to 17 projects

Housing Choice Community Grants – $4,730,000 awarded to 34 projects

Site Readiness Program – $2,857,058 awarded to 10 projects

Urban Agenda Grant Program – $2,500,000 awarded to 28 projects

Community Planning Grants – $4,850,000 awarded to 79 projects

Brownfields Redevelopment Fund – $1,340,000 awarded to 8 projects

Collaborative Workspace Program – $950,000 awarded to 39 projects

Massachusetts Downtown Initiative – $550,000 awarded to 22 projects

Commonwealth Places – $375,000 awarded to 9 projects

Real Estate Services Technical Assistance – $250,000 awarded to 8 projects

Among the projects were $2 million to upgrade the drainage infrastructure in Stafford Square, a residential and commercial area located in central Fall River at the lowest elevation in the watershed that is prone to severe flooding due to its aging drainage infrastructure. The city will use the funds to design large-capacity drainage conduits and separate sewers in the Square, which will reduce the frequency and intensity of flooding during wet weather events and benefit the City, its businesses, and its residents.

The Stafford Square Drainage Improvements will reduce periodic flooding events in the area and separate stormwater drainage from the combined sewer system. This is the intersection of Pleasant Street, County Street, and Quarry Street along with other affected areas.

This design will expand upon the work that has been previously done in the Conceptual Study Phase that was completed in 2021.This funding along with Bristol County ARPA funds that were allocated by the City Council will be able to provide funding for complete ready to bid construction documents. The City of Fall River will continue to seek funding for the construction portion of this project.

With $85,000, Fall River will conduct a Downtown Parking Study and Management Plan to pinpoint parking issues downtown, identify 15 their root causes, and propose solutions to address the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors.

The Fall River Redevelopment Authority received $90,000 to devise a comprehensive Corridor Master Plan to improve the quality of life of community residents while maximizing the impact and economic potential of the City’s new waterfront.

The Department of Community Utilities along with the Department of Community Maintenance have also been granted the use of ARPA funding to purchase new street sweeper equipment, an infrared system, and hotbox. The new street sweepers will enable the city to enhance their ability to remove contaminants from the streets that continuously make their way into the storm drains and combined sewer.

The infrared system and hotbox are an essential group of equipment in water and sewer operations for repairs and installations The hotbox is to keep the asphalt to the specific temperature by specification and to allow the department sufficient time to transport, perform construction and then apply the material. In the New England area, it is imperative in the winter months due to low temperatures and limited availability of Asphalt Facilities, to keep and maintain a constant and consistent temperature to asphalt.

MassWorks, one of the state’s largest competitive grant programs, offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate housing production and job growth. This year, the administration is awarding grants to 50 communities, including five communities that are receiving their first ever MassWorks award. Among this year’s MassWorks’ projects, 26 are supporting mixed-use or commercial developments and 15 are improving road safety in small towns. These projects will create an expected 4,525 units of housing, as well as more than 4,100 permanent jobs and 9,800 construction jobs.

HousingWorks provides municipalities with grants for a variety of infrastructure improvements that spur housing development and preservation. In this inaugural year of the grant program, EOHLC awarded grants to 15 communities to support or preserve 2,108 units of housing.

“Through the One Stop, the Healey-Driscoll administration provides cities and towns with a streamlined process to apply for state resources that bring key projects in their communities to life,” said Undersecretary of Economic Foundations Ashley Stolba. “We are grateful to our teams at the Executive Office of Economic Development, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and MassDevelopment, who worked with hundreds of communities over the past several months to identify projects in 161 municipalities that will have a meaningful impact on local economic growth.”

“This $164 million investment from the Healey-Driscoll Administration will help cities, towns, and local partners tackle important projects that will make a difference in easing the housing shortage, creating jobs, breathing life into underused properties, and advancing community goals across Massachusetts,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “Our team at MassDevelopment administers six of the One Stop grant programs on behalf of the Commonwealth, utilizing our subject matter expertise and deep understanding of local community and economic development issues to maximize the impact of these public dollars.”

“Revere is in the midst of an exciting transformation – from Revere Beach to Suffolk Downs and Shirley Ave, the city continues to drive forward with great momentum. Our growth wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Governor and her team and resources provided through the One Stop for Growth grants,” said Revere Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe. “This program gives us the tools to inform our planning efforts, improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and support economic development for all in the city, allowing Revere to compete again for the fastest-growing city in the Commonwealth.”

“On behalf of the people of Revere, I extend my appreciation to Governor Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll for their leadership in promoting these One Stop Awards,” said Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco, D-Winthrop. “With these grants, the City of Revere can continue its strategic planning to improve both economic opportunity and the quality of life for our residents.”

“Having a single application portal and collaborative review process of community development grant programs is a great tool for gateway cities, like Revere,” said Representative Jessica Giannino, D-Revere. “This process streamlines the experience for the applicant and better coordinates economic development programs which means more resources and programming for our communities.”

The Community One Stop for Growth is an annual program overseen by the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) that provides a streamlined process for cities and towns to apply for 13 state grant programs administered by EOED, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and the quasi-public agency MassDevelopment. Programs in the One Stop fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, infrastructure, and housing development. To learn more about the One Stop, visit www.mass.gov/guides/community-one-stop-for-growth.