Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Planning fellows will soon be helping the Gateway Cities of Brockton, New Bedford and Pittsfield to revitalize neighborhoods targeted for redevelopment by local officials, working with city staff over the next three years thanks to a MassDevelopment program.
The cities were among 10 selected as pilot districts in 2014 through the Transformative Development Initiative, all of which are receiving technical assistance to help advance their visions for economic development. The 10 cities submitted plans that were reviewed by an outside committee of experts before being selected, according to MassDevelopment’s Kelsey Abbruzzese.
In Brockton, officials have been dusting off past plans for the city’s downtown and plugging them into a new strategy, according to Planning and Economic Development Director Rob May. The draft strategy assigns responsibilities to city departments, divisions and neighborhood groups as they pursue transit-oriented, mixed-use development, starting with street-level retail and residences above, and hopefully more office space.
The TDI fellow in Brockton will serve as the point person, May said, managing relationships with potential developers as well as property and business owners, and working on state and federal grants.
“The role of the fellow that we’re going to be getting – it’s not just another set of hands,” May said. “We’re looking for a leader. We’re looking for someone to work with the city, the Redevelopment Authority, and Brockton 21st Century Corporation to lead the implementation of this plan and make sure all of us are doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
New Bedford is also looking to revitalize its downtown, while Pittsfield is focusing on the Tyler Street corridor, which runs from Berkshire Medical Center to a large commercial plot next to the future site of the Berkshire Innovation Center.
MassDevelopment is now accepting applications for the TDI fellows that will be assigned to each city this spring. The agency is looking for people with experience in city planning, community partnership building, real estate, and economic development.
This is the second round of the program. Fellows are already working in Haverhill, Lynn and Springfield.