City of Framingham Receives $2 Million Grant from Healey-Driscoll Administration
BOSTON - On October 24, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus announced more than $161 million for 313 grant awards to support local economic development projects in 171 communities across the state. The awards were made through the Community One Stop for Growth, an application portal overseen by the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED).
The City of Framingham was awarded a $2 million grant.
City of Framingham Planning Director Sarkis Sarkisian went to Worcester for the grant announcement yesterday, October 24.
"We are proud to be a state of strong cities and towns, made stronger by programs like the Community One Stop for Growth, which deliver the resources our communities need to grow their local economies and meet the needs of their residents," said Governor Maura Healey. “Communities will use these grants to build more housing and lower costs, improve road safety, revitalize their downtowns, create new jobs and more. We can’t wait to see the results of these investments all across the state.”
"The One Stop is an important vehicle for supporting our communities by empowering them to pursue their vision for economic growth," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "By working together and keeping our focus at the local level, we are creating opportunity, supporting affordability, and enhancing quality of life for all of our residents."
Through this round of the One Stop, EOED received 756 applications from 510 organizations with projects in 229 communities across the state.
Of the 313 applications awarded, 33 percent are located in a rural or small town, 32 percent are located in a Gateway City, 48 percent are located in a Housing Choice Community, and 50 percent are located in an MBTA Community. 40 communities are receiving a grant through the One Stop for the first time.
The City of Framingham received a $2 million Housing Works Infrastructure grant.
HousingWorks provides municipalities with grants for a variety of infrastructure improvements that spur housing development and preservation.
This year, the administration is awarding grants to 12 communities to create over 1,550 new housing units and preserve over 690 units of housing.
The City of Framingham will use this grant to make intersection improvements at Fountain Street and Dudley Road, providing key upgrades along this major gateway into downtown and Cushing Memorial Park. The project will connect to more than 500 units of housing at the historic Bancroft lofts building, with 250 in permitting.
EOED estimates the One Stop awards will help create more than 18,000 new units of housing, including 4,000 new affordable units, 31,000 new permanent jobs, and more than 14 million square feet of new commercial development.
"Every year, the Community One Stop for Growth invests in transformative projects that unlock local and regional economic growth," said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. "We are grateful to the hundreds of municipal partners, developers, and community leaders who submitted applications, and we look forward to partnering with you to bring your economic development projects to life in the years ahead."
“Cities and towns across the state are stepping up to plan and develop housing for individuals, families, and the people who keep Massachusetts running,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “The awards announced today are a recognition of this hard work and will support local infrastructure improvements, community planning efforts and economic development initiatives that are essential to building resilient and durable communities.”
The FY25 One Stop program awards include:
MassWorks Infrastructure Program - $95 million awarded to 62 projects
HousingWorks Infrastructure Program - $19,252,000 awarded to 12 projects
Underutilized Properties Program - $18,704,674 awarded to 37 projects
Rural Development Fund - $10 million awarded to 49 projects
Site Readiness Program - $5,238,682 awarded to 18 projects
Housing Choice Grant Program - $4,893,715 awarded to 21 projects
Community Planning Grant Program - $2,841,336 awarded to 34 projects
Urban Agenda Grant Program - $2.5 million awarded to 26 projects
Brownfields Redevelopment Fund - $1,380,050 awarded to seven projects
Collaborative Workspace Program - $1,100,549 awarded to 19 projects
Massachusetts Downtown Initiative - $600,000 awarded to 24 projects
Real Estate Services Technical Assistance - $250,000 awarded to six projects
MassWorks, one of the state’s largest competitive grant programs, offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate economic development and job growth.
This year, the administration is awarding grants to 56 communities through the MassWorks program. Among this year’s awardees, 28 are supporting mixed-use, housing, or commercial developments and 12 are improving road safety in small towns. These projects will create 5,158 units of housing, 7,163 permanent jobs, and 22,710 construction jobs.
“Today’s investment means real money for infrastructure, housing, and community development is headed to cites and towns statewide,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “This is a part of our all-hands-on-deck approach to solving the challenges of our time, and I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their quick and effective use of these dollars that were allocated by the Legislature.”
“The grants being celebrated today will improve our cities and towns’ infrastructure by funding critical local economic development projects,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I am proud of the work that we have done in the Legislature to appropriate funding for the many important projects that have been made possible by the Community One Stop for Growth program, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact that they will have on our Commonwealth.”
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