Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh Celebrate Redevelopment of Mattapan Station
Mattapan and 2 other Boston projects awarded over $6.5 million MassWorks Infrastructure funding to support affordable and market-rate housing development
BOSTON, MA – April 9, 2019 – Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh celebrated the redevelopment of the Mattapan Station area, and announced two additional MassWorks Infrastructure Program projects totaling more than $6.5 million for the city. Today’s announcement concludes the 2018 grant round, which awarded $80.3 million for 39 projects across the Commonwealth.
A nearly $1.8 million MassWorks award will clear the MBTA parking lot in Mattapan for the creation of 135 housing units, about half of which will be affordable. The project includes storm water management upgrades, along with streetscape and landscape improvements, to support $28 million of private investment in a mixed-use, transit-oriented development, built in cooperation with non-profit developers Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and its partner Nuestra Comunidad.
“The redevelopment of Mattapan Station will greatly benefit the City and Commonwealth, helping us reach our goal of adding hundreds of much-needed housing units to Boston, while delivering critical infrastructure upgrades and attracting private investment to the neighborhood,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud to wrap up another successful year of MassWorks awards, which resulted in 39 grants to help create jobs, transform housing opportunities and encourage long-term sustainable growth in our cities and towns.”
“Our Administration is thrilled to see so many communities across Massachusetts benefit from this program, especially through the construction of hundreds of new housing units and commercial spaces as we face an affordability crisis,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Flexibility is a hallmark of the MassWorks program, and empowers communities to pursue locally-driven projects, create new opportunities for residents and support regional growth.”
An additional $4.75 million in MassWorks funding was awarded to support housing development elsewhere in Boston. A $2.5 million award will fund the reconstruction and beautification of Vallar Road in East Boston, enabling the Boston Housing Authority to revitalize 331 public housing units at Orient Heights through a $186 million partnership with East Boston Community Development Corporation and Trinity Financial.
A $2.25 million award will provide infrastructure upgrades that support Indigo Block, a transit-oriented development which will create 80 affordable units and 9 market rate condos near the Upham’s Corner Station on the Fairmount/Indigo line. The award will also help link existing neighborhoods with additional sidewalks and paving.
“I want to thank the Administration for investing in these infrastructure projects that are important to our communities in Boston, such as the redevelopment of Mattapan Station, and new housing opportunities in East Boston and Dorchester,” said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. “The MassWorks program is powerful because it unlocks opportunity and paves the way for important projects to cross the finish line, bringing benefits to people all across the Commonwealth.”
The MassWorks Infrastructure Program provides a one-stop shop for municipalities and other eligible public entities seeking public infrastructure funding to support housing production, economic development, and job creation. Through the 2018 grant round, the Administration’s investment of over $80 million across 39 projects will leverage nearly $2.9 billion in private investment to drive an anticipated 4,000 units of new housing and more than 9,000 full-time jobs. 37 communities across the Commonwealth will benefit from this round’s investments.
“The MassWorks Infrastructure Program has been successful as a catalyst for development because of its ability to support projects across a wide range of community sizes and needs,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “Each year we fund dozens of high-quality, shovel-ready projects, and this year is no exception. I congratulate the 2018 grant round awardees for pursuing projects that both strengthen their communities and promote sustainable growth and development across the Commonwealth.”
Today’s announcement took place at the Mattapan Station project site. Governor Baker, Mayor Walsh, Secretary Kennealy, and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak were joined by city officials, legislators, developers, and members of the community.
“POAH is proud to partner with Nuestra Comunidad on this important transit-oriented development in the heart of Mattapan. The MassWorks funds will support critical infrastructure improvements, and will leverage over $50 million in additional financing – all of which will enable the creation of 135 homes along with commercial and community space. This is an excellent example of the type of cross-sector collaboration that will be needed to meet the city’s and state’s housing and economic development goals, and we are grateful for Mayor Walsh and Governor Baker’s leadership on this front,” said Aaron Gornstein, President and CEO of Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH).
“Nuestra Comunidad welcomes this important investment by the Commonwealth. We have been a mainstay in the Mattapan neighborhood for decades, providing community services and affordable housing opportunities to local residents. Redeveloping the Mattapan Station parking lot will create new public pathways and gathering spaces for neighbors, and also provide a welcoming link for the community with the new Neponset River Greenway,” said David Price, Executive Director of Nuestra Comunidad. “Embarking on this undertaking has allowed us to pull from our experiences and develop a shared vision with the community for this site, leveraging publicly-owned land to add sustainable public space and mixed-income housing density at a major transit node – in short, a model project for many of the Commonwealth’s development goals.”