Town Manager Bob Halpin, MAPC to kick off economic development effort for area at Pusan Road Community Center May 19
BOSTON – May 20, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash will join the Town of Framingham and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) at a special kickoff event announcing a new Neighborhood Master Plan project to revitalize Southeast Framingham on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 8 a.m. in the Pusan Road Community Center, located at 9 Pusan Rd. in Framingham.
The project, which will focus on bringing a new set of development opportunities to an area of town long overdue for coordinated, up-to-date planning and zoning, will be led by Framingham’s Community and Economic Development Division and supported by MAPC’s District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program, a state fund that helps promote regional collaboration, economic development, better land use/zoning and environmental protection.
Southeast Framingham, bounded by W and B Streets along the Natick and Sherborn borders and a substantial area of industrial land immediately to the south, developed as a historically industrial area that now includes a mix of private residential housing alongside manufacturing, junk yards and auto-related uses. The goal of this coordinated planning effort will be to set a development vision, attract investment, foster job creation, and enhance quality of life for current residents, such as improving recreation opportunities and links to regional transportation.
“This DLTA master planning grant presents the Town of Framingham and the Southeast Framingham community a major opportunity to address long standing needs in this portion of Town,” said Town Manager Bob Halpin. “We will use this money to look comprehensively and strategically at issues and opportunities ranging from improvements in the quality housing, land use, transportation, recreation and open space and importantly environmental conditions and economic development strategies to benefit the residents in the neighborhood.”
“The Southeast quadrant of Framingham, like other older urban areas, has become an environmental and economic disinvestment. This Neighborhood Master Plan project is an opportunity to revitalize and clean up a whole neighborhood, by bringing much needed new investments and businesses to the area,” said Representative Chris Walsh (D-Framingham). “I greatly appreciate Secretary Ash’s recognition of the importance of coordinated development projects like this one.”
Representative Tom Sannicandro said, “This grant offers a critical long-term approach to helping build Southeast Framingham. The Neighborhood Master Plan is comprehensive, forward-thinking, and will provide tools that will drastically improve the quality of life for residents through strong economic and community development, while underscoring Framingham’s fundamental role in the state’s broader economic growth goals.”
“This project will enable the Town and residents to plan strategically for cleaning up polluted industrial sites, refurbish parks, and add good-quality housing that’s close to the center of town,” said Marc Draisen, Executive Director of MAPC. “It will also help small business owners to stay in Southeast Framingham and create more local jobs.”
The project is expected to be completed by June 2016. For more information, visit www.framinghamma.gov/SEFramingham
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Nichol M. Figueiredo
Public Information Officer/Webmaster
Town of Framingham
508-532-5437
nml (at) framinghamma (dot) gov
Amanda Linehan
Communications Manager, MAPC
617-933-0705
alinehan (at) mapc (dot) org
