Governor Announces $2.6 Million in Brownfields Funds, Including $277K in JP

January 29, 2020 : Jamaica Plain News, by David Ertischek

Gov. Baker announces $2.6 million in Brownfields Funding for 16 Projects, including two in Jamaica Plain on Jan. 23, 2020.

Governor Charlie Baker was joined by a host of local and state officials on Heath Street to announce that two Jamaica Plain projects are among 16 state projects receiving more than $2.6 million in Brownfields Redevelopment Funds.

Baker made the announcement on Jan. 23 at the Hattie Kelton Apartments at 61 Heath St., in JP, which is Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation's (JPNDC) newest building.

Brownfields Redevelopment Funds help transform vacant, abandoned, or underused industrial or commercial properties by providing money to pay for the environmental assessment and remediation of the sites in “economically distressed areas” in Massachusetts.

The JPNDC is receiving $250,000 for its housing developments at 25 Amory Street and 250 Centre Street. Those two developments will provide 154 mixed-income housing units with 88 of them being deemed affordable.

The Urban Edge Housing Corporation is receiving $27,000 for its project at 137 Amory Street for its Holtzer Park Project, a 62-unit affordable housing development.

“The Brownfields Redevelopment Fund breathes life into vacant or underused properties where redevelopment may be complicated by environmental contamination,” said Baker. “Today’s awards will provide communities with the resources they need to transform some of the state’s most challenging sites, clearing the way for much-need new housing units and opening the door for new jobs across the Commonwealth.”

“The Commonwealth’s Brownfields Redevelopment Fund is a key tool in righting environmental justice wrongs and in helping community development projects cross the finish line,” said state Rep. Liz Malia, D-11th Suffolk. “So many formerly blighted parcels in my district would be bad neighbors to this day, if not for the Brownfields Fund’s invaluable technical assistance and grants. I thank the Administration and MassDevelopment for continuing to prioritize the fund and to put it to good use statewide.”

"We can't overstate the importance of Brownfields funding to Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation's ability to create affordable housing,” said Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation Executive Director Richard Thal. “As is the case with many past projects, the homes we're about to break ground on in Jackson Square would not happen without it."