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Date: 9/13/2018
CHICOPEE – Because of a state infrastructure grant, developers for the former Cabotville Industrial park can move ahead with their plans.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito came to Chicopee on Sept. 6 to speak about the impact of the $2.6 million MassWorks Infrastructure Grant awarded in 2015 that has paid for major infrastructure improvement.
“You can’t see it here because it’s underground …. it’s absolutely critical to be in place to attract investment,” Polito said.
Planning Director Lee Pouliot explained to Reminder Publishing the grant primarily funded a new waterline that would provide both domestic use and fire suppression system. There were spot improvements to the sewer lines serving the complex and electrical upgrades.
The city contributed only 10 percent of the cost of the project, the mayor’s office reported.
Silverbrick Lofts has proposed turning the former mill complex into 600 units of market-rate housing. Combined with the Lyman Mills project that is already underway, that would mean there would be almost 700 units of new housing in the downtown area, Mayor Richard Kos explained.
Kos noted there is a two-three wait for the apartments to neighboring Ames Privilege, which has already increased its inventory.
“This is a place with great potential,” the mayor said.
City Councilor Shane Brooks said of the proposed new housing, “The positive impact are almost immeasurable.”
Representative Joseph Wagner, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, released a written statement, “This state and local partnership reflects our commitment to capitalize on Chicopee’s underutilized resources. It is projects like this that serve to justify the commitments made by the legislature in 2016 and 2018 to authorize significant capital dollars for the program.”
Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded over $274 million to 134 projects in 106 communities throughout the Commonwealth. In August, Gov. Charlie Baker signed economic development legislation that includes an additional $250 million in new MassWorks authorization.