Fitchburg has been named as one of six Gateway Cities in Massachusetts to receive on-the-ground support for economic development from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative.
Fitchburg’s participation in the program will see part of the municipality designated as a TDI district, providing access to MassDevelopment employees with economic development expertise and other tools meant to accelerate development, including technical assistance and grants.
The TDI designation lasts for a period of three years, according to a Monday press release from MassDevelopment.
“The Transformative Development Initiative has helped Gateway Cities across the commonwealth spur economic growth, revitalize neighborhoods, and position communities and residents for long-term success,” Sen. John Cronin (D-Fitchburg), co-chair of the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, said in the Monday press release.
The City has been working for decades to revitalize its Downtown area. The Fitchburg TDI district boundaries will be determined in collaboration with local partners in the upcoming months, according to an email from Kelsey Schiller, director of communications for MassDevelopment.
Since 2015, MassDevelopment has invested $50 million in TDI districts, with those investments helping spur more than $168 million in public investment, $314 million in private investment, and $8 million in philanthropic investment.
The selection of the six Gateway Cities comes as MassDevelopment is launching the Gateway Network, a platform connecting municipal officials, small businesses and developers, in order to share knowledge to advance local revitalization goals.
Fitchburg joins Chelsea, Holyoke, Lowell, Malden, and Peabody as participants in this round of TDI support. Worcester’s Pleasant Street district graduated from the program in 2025, after other areas of Worcester, including the Theatre District and the Main South neighborhood, had previously gone through the program..
Gateway Cities are 26 municipalities designated by the state for economic development, having a population between 35,000-250,000, a median household income below the state average, and a rate of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree below the state average.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
