Hopkinton Gets $5.5 Mil. From State for New Road, Main Street Reconfig.

Governor Deval Patrick today announced a new round of MassWorks Infrastructure Program grants to advance local development projects across the state. The grants total more than $66 million in improvement projects that will support thousands of jobs in Massachusetts communities. Through these awards, the state will partner with cities and towns to support housing developments, infrastructure developments, road safety and revitalization projects.

“Our commitment to investing in communities has created thousands of jobs and improved infrastructure across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “The MassWorks program is a prime example of what government can do at the local level to support economic development.”

Hopkinton was granted $5.5 million to support Phase II of the Legacy Farms Smart Growth Development project near Hopkinton Town Center. Phase II will include 425 multi-family and single family homes and over 200,000 square feet of commercial space. The funds will construct a new public road opening up the north side of the 730 acre site (500 acres to be dedicated open space). In addition, $500,000 of this award will be used to assist in reconfiguring Main Street in the downtown.

Through these grants, the Patrick Administration will partner with cities and towns making targeting investments in infrastructure such as roadways, streetscapes, water and sewers to facilitate and support new and sustained housing and economic growth throughout Massachusetts.

The Governor celebrated the latest round of investments while in Amherst, which received a $1.5 million award for the North Downtown Improvements Project to address infrastructure improvements in the northern gateway to downtown Amherst and the southern entrance of the UMass Amherst campus. This area is currently made up of aging, low-rise, single-use commercial buildings and parking lots. The community re-zoned this area to allow for increased density and mixed-use developments. Amherst’s MassWorks grant will be used to move utilities underground to support the construction of the Kendrick Place and One East Pleasant Street mixed-use projects, which represent $30 million in private investment in the community. Kendrick Place is currently under construction and includes 36 market rate units and 4,800 square feet of commercial space. One East Pleasant Street is in the final stages of permitting and is expected to include 78 market rate units and first floor commercial space. The Town will provide matching funds to complete streetscape work and the reconfiguration of the East Pleasant/Triangle Street intersection.

“The Patrick Administration has been committed to providing support to communities so that they can grow and prosper,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki. “Revitalizing a community through infrastructure improvements will make it easier for businesses to grow and communities to flourish.”

MassWorks is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and represents a consolidation of six capital budget programs, giving communities a single entry point and one set of requirements for the state’s public infrastructure grants. The consolidation created efficiencies and streamlined the decision-making process, increasing access for municipalities and enhancing partnerships around economic development and housing.

The Patrick Administration has invested $291 million in MassWorks infrastructure and public improvements projects statewide since 2011.

The Patrick Administration approved the following projects for funding:

Amherst - $1.5 million for the North Downtown Improvement Project will provide infrastructure to support mixed use development in downtown Amherst. The $1.5 million in funding will allow the town to put utilities underground and will be matched by town funds to reconfigure the East Pleasant/Triangle Street intersection and improve the streetscape.

Article submitted by the office of the Patrick Administration