Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Partnership to Support Downtown Taunton Master Plan
MassDevelopment will partner with the City of Taunton to develop a downtown district master plan for the city
November 16, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Samantha Kaufman, HED
Samantha.kaufman@state.ma.us
Meggie Quackenbush, MassDevelopment
mquackenbush@massdevelopment.com
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new partnership between MassDevelopment and the City of Taunton to develop a downtown district master plan for the city. MassDevelopment will provide up to $50,000 through its real estate services department for planning and feasibility work that will help ensure the new Taunton City Hall, under construction at 15 Summer Street, is integrated into the downtown. The study will also further explore strategies for attracting private investment to vacant buildings along Taunton’s Main Street. The master plan will build on previous state and federal investments in Taunton, including $6.1 million in MassWorks Infrastructure Program grants.
“The City of Taunton has made great strides to boost economic activity through recent industrial, housing, and infrastructure developments,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “This master planning effort compliments previous state investments and will further the city’s ongoing revitalization efforts, integrating key parts of the community’s downtown and working to attract commercial and residential activity.”
“MassDevelopment’s real estate services help Massachusetts communities solve complex economic development challenges through creative, practical solutions,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss. “We have been proud to partner with the City of Taunton to capitalize on resources like the Myles Standish Industrial Park, and we look forward to helping this community develop a downtown vision that leverages existing assets and identifies new opportunities for economic growth.”
“I would like to thank Secretary Ash and his Office for their support in obtaining this grant through MassDevelopment,” said Mayor Thomas Hoye. “MassDevelopment has been a tremendous partner with the City of Taunton, and we could not ask for a more qualified agency to assist in our Downtown revitalization efforts. We have made significant strides Downtown, and this much needed technical assistance will allow us to take our efforts to the next level.”
"I am pleased that Taunton is a priority to this administration,” said Representative Shaunna O’Connell. “This grant will be a good step in revitalizing downtown Taunton and reviving economic development in the area.“
“While Taunton has always had a diverse and active city center,” said Representative Patricia A. Haddad, Speaker Pro Tempore. “This planning grant will aid the community’s efforts to expand the downtown as a vibrant cultural and commercial hub.”
MassDevelopment previously partnered with the Taunton Development Corporation and the City of Taunton on the expansion of the Myles Standish Industrial Park and the creation of the Business Park at Myles Standish. This $26 million public-private development project was partially financed with two MassWorks grants from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, totaling $6.1 million; $3.1 million in grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration; and a $600,000 brownfields remediation grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The development project is located at the former Paul A. Dever State School, which closed in 2002. More than 1 million square feet of new private development and about 1,100 jobs have been created since MassDevelopment and the Taunton Development Corporation formed a nonprofit corporation in 2012 to begin this 220-acre development project.
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2017, MassDevelopment financed or managed 377 projects generating investment of more than $4.3 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 9,488 jobs and build or rehabilitate 1,863 residential units.
