MassDevelopment

Site Readiness Program

The Site Readiness Program, administered by MassDevelopment, aims to increase the Commonwealth’s inventory of large, well-located, project-ready sites; to accelerate private-sector investment in industrial, commercial, and mixed-use projects; and to support the conversion of abandoned sites and obsolete facilities into clean, actively used, tax-generating properties. Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal agencies or authorities, economic and industrial corporations, economic development authorities, and nonprofit entities.

Eligible Uses

MassDevelopment will be accepting applications for funding in the eligible use categories described in the program guidelines and summarized below:

Site Preparation

  • Site Concept Plans – Including feasibility and planning studies in addition to concept-level master planning. 
  • Site Market Studies – Including broker consultation, market analysis, and development of marketing materials.
  • Site Acquisition and Related Tasks – Including costs of property acquisition, title analysis, surveying, and legal fees. 
  • Demolition
  • Construction of Site-Related Upgrades – Including utilities and roadways.

Predevelopment and Permitting

  • Engineering Documents – Including design and pricing of on- and off-site access and infrastructure improvements. 
  • Pre-Permitting and Permitting – Including assistance in reviewing existing zoning, permitting, or other regulatory issues as well as in undertaking pre-permitting activities. Also includes studies related to specific site issues including traffic, historic resources, rare species, utilities, etc.
  • Pro-Forma Development
  • Due Diligence Activities – Including Phase I environmental review and existing conditions analysis.

Review Criteria - MassDevelopment will consider the following criteria when reviewing Site Readiness Program applications. While few sites will satisfy every criterion, applications will be reviewed on a relative basis. Review criteria will be used to assess the likelihood of requested funding to advance a project towards site readiness, future development, and resulting public benefits.

  • Community support for industrial development (43D/Priority Development Area designation may serve as an indicator)
  • Consistency with the existing municipal master plan and/or regional plans
  • As-of-right zoning or an affirmative statement from municipality to seek as-of-right zoning
  • Regional impact and regional appropriateness
  • Property size and scale of development (the program is targeting a minimum of 50,000 square feet of developable space)
  • Level of potential of private investment on the site
  • Benefits enabled (including new permanent and construction jobs created)
  • Site access (proximity to highways and/or rail)
  • Site control
  • Appropriateness of location (including proximity to housing and known off-site impacts)
  • Marketability of the site (active interest a plus)
  • Availability of matching funds from landowner and/or local contribution (including, but not limited to, tax increment financing or other financial commitments)

Grant Terms and Conditions

Grantees will be required to execute a standard grant agreement. The agreement provides that in most instances, the state will be repaid from any net land sale proceeds, long-term lease revenue, or refinancing proceeds. If a grant does not result in new revenues, there is no repayment obligation.

How to Apply

The Site Readiness Program is part of the Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal and collaborative review process of community development grant programs that makes targeted investments based on a Development Continuum. For additional details, see the program guidelines.

program guidelines

Apply for site readiness 

For more information:

Amanda Gregoire, Director of Site Planning
Mobile: 617-947-6368
Email: agregoire@massdevelopment.com