Atac Receives Grant For Garden Beds, Little Free Library, & Public Wi-Fi

In full transparency, portions of this are a press release from the Governor’s office.

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BOSTON – Earlier this week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials in Pittsfield to announce more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities.

The grant awards were made through Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal that provides a streamlined, collaborative review process of 12 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction and infrastructure. MassWorks is the largest program in the One Stop portfolio and is awarding $100 million in grant awards this year.

Through this round of the One Stop, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development received 523 applications from 207 communities representing every region of the Commonwealth. Of the 337 applications awarded, 31% are located in a rural or small town; 32% are located in a Gateway City; and 43% are located in a Housing Choice Community. This investment is expected to directly support the creation of 6,950 new housing units across the Commonwealth, including 5,068 new market-rate units and 1,882 new affordable units.

“Since taking office, we have been proud to make significant investments in helping our cities, towns and local partners achieve their economic development goals through a range of grant programs and legislation aimed at advancing the diverse needs of municipalities across the state,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The projects awarded funding today build upon that work and will create jobs, build housing, revitalize spaces and empower communities in every region of the Commonwealth.”

“Our administration has made partnering with cities and towns and fostering relationships with local leaders a priority, and through the One Stop we’ve been able to streamline their process of applying for grant programs while making the Commonwealth an active partner in local economic development strategy,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “From small towns to Gateway Cities, the programs in One Stop, like MassWorks, are delivering funding to meet the unique needs and priorities of our individual communities.”

Among the grants was a Commonwealth Places Program for atac in downtown Framingham for $29,613 for a green space project.

This 600-square-foot urban green space will occupy the front and side of the art center’s historic Firehouse venue. In addition to original art, the garden will feature accessible seating, a Little Free Library, garden beds for a collaborative Urban Garden Initiative, and free WIFI for public enjoyment and enrichment.

FY23 Community One Stop for Growth programs include:

• MassWorks Infrastructure Program – $100 million awarded to 63 projects
• Underutilized Properties Program – $21,683,685 awarded to 49 projects
• Rural and Small Town Development Fund – $4,958,995 awarded to 25 projects
• Housing Choice Community Grants – $3,913,384 awarded to 36 projects
• Site Readiness Program – $2,856,150 awarded to 12 projects
• Urban Agenda – $2,654,370 awarded to 31 projects
• Brownfields Redevelopment Fund – $2,612,740 awarded to 13 projects
• Community Planning Grants – $2,386,800 awarded to 40 projects
• Collaborative Workspace Program – $1,197,000 awarded to 39 projects
• Commonwealth Places – $385,663 awarded to 12 projects
• Massachusetts Downtown Initiative – $350,000 awarded to 14 projects
• Real Estate Services Technical Assistance – $250,000 awarded to 7 projects