On December 16, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy were joined by House Speaker Ronald Mariano, Mayor Thomas Koch and other state and local officials to announce a $2.3 million MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant to the city of Quincy to support construction of a new north-south roadway and utility corridor in Quincy Center.
The new roadway – to be known as General McConville Way – will unlock the development potential in a key area of the city’s downtown revitalization plan now underway.
The roadway project will assist in the creation of six new parcels for development and will result in more than an acre of new green space in the immediate area. In addition, construction of the new roadway is expected to attract approximately $200 million in private investment, leading to approximately 150,000 square feet of new medical, office, commercial, and retail space; 200 new units of housing; a 120-room hotel; and a 450-space parking facility. During the buildout, the project is expected to support approximately 400 construction jobs; when complete, the area will experience a net increase of 150 permanent jobs.
Also today, the Baker-Polito Administration celebrated the city of Quincy’s two other awards through the Community One Stop for Growth platform: a $75,000 Housing Choice Community Grant to conduct a review and analysis of the city’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, and a $100,000 Urban Agenda grant to support a Minority Business Roundtable that will provide access to digital marketing expertise to approximately two dozen minority-owned businesses.
“We are excited to continue our support for the city of Quincy’s ongoing transformation of Quincy Center with this MassWorks award, which will support the creation of hundreds of new housing units, hundreds of new jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Congratulations to Quincy for taking full advantage of the One Stop program and for their continued progress toward making Quincy Center a vibrant neighborhood.”
“As Quincy demonstrates, MassWorks and the programs accessed through the One Stop support important local infrastructure projects that attract private investment, spur housing production, and create jobs,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Through Quincy’s success with the One Stop, our Administration looks forward to continuing our support for the city’s plans for economic growth.”
MassWorks is a competitive program that offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate housing production and job growth. MassWorks is the largest program in Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal and collaborative review process for grant programs launched in January 2021 to make targeted investments based on a development continuum.
With the addition of this year’s round, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded 326 MassWorks grants to 181 communities and has invested over $608 million in public infrastructure projects throughout the Commonwealth. These grants have directly supported the creation of 21,000 new housing units and tens of thousands of new construction and permanent jobs, while also leveraging over $13 billion in private investment.
Including MassWorks grants, the Community One Stop for Growth program awarded $88 million for 196 projects in 122 communities across the Commonwealth in its first year. Of the 196 projects awarded, nearly one-third were located in a rural or small town, half were located in a Housing Choice Community, and one-third were located in a Gateway City.
“We created the One Stop to offer access to a wide variety of programs through a single, streamlined process that ensures that valuable funds can be directed more effectively, to more communities, in less time,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “The One Stop gives communities and other partners the opportunity to work collaboratively with us, to pursue multiple projects simultaneously and to meet their economic development goals. The city of Quincy has demonstrated how applicants can be creative with grant funding to maximize the impact of state investments in transformative projects. While the first year of the One Stop has shown tremendous promise, the demand for our programs demonstrates that we can do more.”
“As designed, the One Stop enhances access to important resources and programs, which in turn allows communities to overcome traditional barriers to economic and community development initiatives,” said Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba. “I want to congratulate Quincy on their awards, and look forward to many more communities replicating their success in the future.”
“The grants announced today continue a historic and longstanding commitment by Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito to foster private investment through vital infrastructure investments,” said Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch. “Downtown Quincy is once again the economic engine for our entire region, and that is in no small part due to the work of this Administration. I am incredibly grateful for this ongoing partnership.”
“The grants being celebrated here today will improve our city’s infrastructure, increase access to affordable housing, bridge the digital divide in Quincy, and bring hundreds of new jobs to the city in the process,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano. “I am proud of the work that we have done in the Legislature to appropriate funding for the many important projects that result from the MassWorks Infrastructure program.”
“I am pleased that these MassWorks funds will enable the city of Quincy to strengthen the downtown corridor while also honoring the service of one of its most distinguished community members,” said Senator John F. Keenan. “This new roadway and the associated development will create hundreds of homes and jobs for Quincy residents, and represent a lasting tribute to General McConville.”
“This MassWorks grant will enable the city of Quincy to make much needed improvements to the Walter Hannon Parkway intersection and develop the utility corridor,” said Representative Tackey Chan. “I’m especially pleased that Quincy was the recipient of two additional One Stop grants, demonstrating the Commonwealth’s strong commitment to the city. The grants will allow the city to review the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance and address the need for more affordable housing as well as provide digital support and marketing expertise for our minority-owned businesses.”
The full list of this year’s MassWorks grant recipients can be found here.