68m in grants go to 35 cities and Towns ... but not Framingham

 In yesterday's Globe, reporter Travis Anderson writes about Governor Baker's Mass-Works program. The works grant program supports building projects, road repairs and other initiatives. When I first read the piece and saw that Framingham was not on the list, I wrote to Maria Robinson and asked if we had applied and with-in minutes she wrote back the we had not. So I called the EDIC office and left a message, then I wrote to the Mayor and asked why we didn't at least apply for a chance at a few dollars.  Lastly, I wrote to Cannon and he responded that the lack of action was disturbing. And what about our council women who has LT Governor Polito on speed dial? The Globe piece is much more detailed, but has a paywall. I used the MMA url for everyone to read.

https://www.mma.org/administration-announces-68m-in-massworks-grants-for-infrastructure-projects/

Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy joined members of the Legislature and local officials today to announce the 2020 Round of the MassWorks Infrastructure Grant Program.

This year’s awards will invest nearly $68 million in 36 projects to support housing, economic development and road safety projects in 35 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. The awards, announced during a virtual ceremony, are part of the administration’s Partnerships for Recovery initiative.

“MassWorks provides essential funding to cities and towns for infrastructure projects that spur housing production, create jobs and attract private investment, which are particularly important during our economic recovery,” said Gov. Baker. “We are grateful for our partnerships, both with the Legislature and with local officials, that make these investments possible, and we look forward to continued collaboration to support Massachusetts’ economy.”

Lt. Gov. Polito said MassWorks “plays a critical role in filling in the needed funding gaps that would otherwise keep these key projects from moving forward and inhibit substantial private investments in the main streets and downtowns of municipalities across the Commonwealth.” She added that the flexible funding empowers communities “to move ahead with projects that will have an immediate and lasting impact on their commercial districts, housing stock and residents.”

In total, the 2020 MassWorks awards will help create more than 3,500 new housing units, including more than 1,000 affordable units; result in more than 3,900 new jobs, support more than 7,000 construction jobs, and leverage more than $1.6 billion in private investment, according to the administration.

Among this year’s projects, 23 are reactivating underused sites, 20 are transit-oriented developments, 14 have a mixed-use component; nine are in Gateway Cities, and eight are roadway projects in small and rural communities. Additionally, eight towns are receiving their first-ever MassWorks award. The transformative projects funded by the 2020 awards were selected through a competitive process that received 100 applications, totaling nearly $208 million in requests.

The cities and towns include Acton, Amherst, Avon, Ayer, Beverly, Boston, Brockton, Buckland, Burlington, Chelsea, Dracut, Erving, Hanover, Harvard, Haverhill, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Methuen, Nantucket, Northfield, Warwick, Orange, Phillipston, Pittsfield, Plainfield, Sheffield, South Hadley, Stoughton, Ware, Wayland, Wellfleet, West Brookfield, Westborough, Wilmington, and Worcester.