Worcester, Fitchburg receive $120K for Main St. redevelopment
Photo | Grant Welker
Fitchburg homeowners are expected to pay more in real estate taxes with a single tax rate.
Fitchburg State University has been given $65,000 in state funding to help redevelop Fitchburg's Main Street and Worcester's Main South neighborhood has been given $55,000 for facade and public-space improvements.
The funding, announced by state officials in New Bedford on Tuesday, is part of a statewide Transformative Development Initiative, which aims at spurring economic growth in Gateway Cities, the state's older, urban centers.
Of Fitchburg State's funding, $35,000 will provide incentives for private commercial buildings to improve their facades, upgrading the appearance of the neighborhood and keeping the historic integrity of the buildings. Another $30,000 will provide lease subsidies to businesses to encourage more active storefronts.
Fitchburg State, which is the state's partner in the city's Transformative Development Initiative program, will match, along with others, additional funds to double both of those Fitchburg initiatives.
In Worcester's South Main neighborhood, $40,000 will go toward facade improvements, along with a grant of the same amount given to the Main South Community Development Corp. Another $15,000, matched by the same amount from the Main South Community Development Corp., will activate public spaces in the neighborhood, including empty lots. Business owners and other community members will be able to apply for funding for programs that promote the area to bring foot traffic.
The Transformative Development Initiative has provided $13.5 million in funding over more than three years to Massachusetts cities, including grant programs, real estate investments and technical assistance.
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