March 5, 2021
Central Mass. communities earn $530K in urban-neighborhood grants
Photo | Grant Welker
Downtown Leominster
Six Central Massachusetts communities earned a total of seven state grants announced late Thursday aimed at improving urban neighborhoods.
The region's $530,000 funding total is a share of $2.5 million given statewide through the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development's Urban Agenda Grant Program, which gives one-year grants based on a competitive application process.
The Central Massachusetts recipients:
- Fitchburg – Fitchburg University/Fitchburg Transformative Development Initiative Partnership: $100,000 to support ReImagine North of Main, an initiative to provide technical assistance to help Latino businesses recover from the pandemic and to attract minority businesses to contribute to the arts and cultural economy in downtown Fitchburg.
- Framingham – Office of the Mayor: $75,000 for Opportunity Hub Project to support the creation of a business resource center where local businesses can have access to business training and workshops.
- Leominster – North Central Massachusetts Development Corp.: $100,000 for the Latino Capacity Building Project, which will provide culturally competent technical assistance to Latino businesses recovering from the pandemic. Training in marketing, grant application, and bookkeeping will be included.
- Southbridge – Town of Southbridge: $72,000 for Southbridge Urban Renewal Area Project. Under this initiative, the town will hire a real estate consultant and an economic development specialist to create a technical assistance program to be used to plan workshops for the town's urban renewal plan.
- Webster – Town of Webster: $30,000 for Webster Entrepreneur Support Micro Grants. Microgrants will be given to at least six startup businesses for support, with half reserved for Black or Latino applicants.
- Worcester – Main Middle – DYME Institute at Clark University/Latin American Business Organization: $85,000 for Main South Minority Business Economic Recovery and Growth Project, a 12-week bilingual personal development program for 60 Black and Latino residents with mentoring and assistance with efforts in returning into the workforce.
- Worcester – Main South – Main South Community Development Corp.: $68,000 for Fresh Start Up Worcester. Through this initiative, up to 18 minority-owned businesses will receive technical support in marketing and social media, basic training in accountancy, and physical improvements that can enhance the Main South District.
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