Overview
The Community One Stop for Growth is a single application portal and collaborative review process of grant programs that make targeted investments based on a Development Continuum:
Categories Related to Preparing for Growth
Grants to support activities and initial steps by community-based actors to attract and guide private investment in a community.
- Community Activation and Placemaking
- Planning & Zoning
- Site Preparation
Categories Related to Catalyzing Specific Projects
Grants to support implementation of construction activities to leverage private, commercial, industrial, residential investment projects, and other improvements that further the community vision.
- Buildings (vertical construction)
- Infrastructure (horizontal construction)
Continuum Detail – Community Activation and Placemaking
Community Activation and Placemaking grants support projects and programs aimed at identifying and enhancing community assets. These assets can include the built environment, local business, or the community’s residents.
Eligible Applicants:
- All Public Entities
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Community Development Organizations
Programs in this Category:
- Massachusetts Downtown Initiative
- Urban Agenda Grant Program
- Real Estate Services Technical Assistance
- Commonwealth Places Program
Projects Supported
Early Stage Engagement
- Consultant Services for Downtowns
- Community Visioning for Future Placemaking
- Workshops/Community Feedback Sessions
- Local Engagement Facilitation Training
- Participatory Displays and Engagement Tools
- Removing Barriers within the Placemaking Process
- Compensation for labor-intensive engagement
Action Grants
- Implementing a Community Economic Development Program
- Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development and Technical Assistance
- Workforce Development, Training Initiatives, and Job Pipeline
- Supporting Access to Opportunity
- Community Organizing and Leadership Development
- Creating District Support
- Business Improvement District (BID) Formation
- District Improvement Financing (DIF)
- Implementing Locally Driven Placemaking
- Place-Based Activities and Events
- Creating Community Gathering Spaces
- Sidewalk Retail Solutions
- Reclaiming Roadways and Sidewalks for Pedestrians
- Local Re-Granting for Micro-Projects
Example Projects:
- Request by a business association representing a consortium of building owners to explore the feasibility of developing a Business Improvement District.
- A request from a community coalition to fund English language training and other prerequisite trainings, including coverage for childcare and transportation, to prepare low-income residents for new jobs available in the region due to the expansion of a major employer.
Continuum Detail – Planning and Zoning
Applications for projects in the Planning and Zoning bucket represent an early-stage project that requires a guiding plan, study, or assessment of project needs, prior to any construction or site preparation. These are planning grants and projects must produce a planning document or zoning revision.
Eligible Applicants:
- All Public Entities
Programs in this Category:
- Community Planning Grants
- Rural and Small Town Development Fund
- Housing Choice Grant Program
Projects Supported:
Community Plan
- Master Plan
- Neighborhood Plan
- Downtown Plan
- Urban Renewal Plan
- Housing Production Plan
- Regional Plan
- Corridor Plan
- Other Plan
Zoning Revision
- Zoning to Comply with Section 3A of MGL c.40A
- Comprehensive Zoning Review & Revision
- Other Zoning Revision
Example Projects:
- Create a housing production plan to better understand housing needs of the community and identify strategies to reduce gaps in existing housing relative to identified needs.
- Study the area with a ½ mile of a commuter rail station and create strategies to intensify development in that area.
- Prepare a corridor study of a commercial area that runs through multiple towns and seeks land use alternatives to promote multi-modal access, introduce mixed-use and achieve more compact commercial development.
- Review current zoning to identify and remove language that excludes certain housing types.
Continuum Detail – Site Preparation
This category includes funding for an applicant working to progress a key site toward development; a final developer or end use is not necessarily identified at this phase.
Eligible Applicants:
- All Public Entities
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Community Development Organizations
Programs in this Category:
- Site Readiness Program
- Brownfields Redevelopment Fund
- Real Estate Services Technical Assistance
- Rural and Small Town Development Fund
- Housing Choice Grant Program
Projects Supported:
Site Predevelopment
- Preparing for Site Improvement Construction
- Site Due Diligence
- Site Plan Design
- Market Study
- Civil Engineering
- Pre-Permitting/Permitting
- Brownfields Site Assessment
- Preparing for Municipal Surplus Property Disposition
Site Work Implementation
- Site Improvement Construction
- Demolition
- Site Acquisition, related tasks
- Construction of site related upgrades
- Brownfields Remediation
Example Projects:
- The acquisition of land in an industrial zone to allow for business expansion.
- The remediation of a brownfield site to prepare it for the development of a new industrial complex for businesses
Continuum Detail – Buildings (Vertical)
Funding is available for predevelopment activities and capital improvements that are essential to the occupancy of a blighted and/or underutilized property, as well as those that support the creation of new coworking space. Funding in this category is limited to projects with a strong public purpose and benefit. These are predevelopment and implementation grants for construction ready projects. Projects in this category must have the building secured with building and/or site control, an identified end use, and a clear public purpose. Additional funding is available for eligible Housing Choice and Rural & Small Town designated municipalities to fund feasibility studies and construction related to housing and public facility projects.
Eligible Applicants:
- All Public Entities
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Community Development Organizations
- For-Profit Organizations
Programs in this Category:
- Underutilized Properties Program
- Collaborative Workspace Program
- Rural and Small Town Development Fund
- Housing Choice Grant Program
Projects Supported:
Building Predevelopment
- Building Rehabilitation Feasibility Study
- Building Condition Study
- Development Feasibility Study
- Code Compliance Study
- Architectural or Engineering Plans
- Collaborative Workspace Feasibility / Predevelopment
- Municipal Building Construction Feasibility Study (Housing Choice and Rural & Small Town only)
- Public Facility Construction Feasibility Study
- Housing/Mixed Use Construction Feasibility Study
Building Construction
- Rehabilitation of a Blighted or Underutilized Property
- Code Compliance
- Building Accessibility Improvements
- Building Stabilization and/or Shell Repair
- Interior Demolition or Remediation
- Collaborative Workspace Fit-Out or Equipment
- Municipal Building Construction (Housing Choice and Rural & Small Town only)
- Public Facility Construction
- Housing/Mixed Use Construction
Example Projects:
- A request to fit-out an incubator within a property that was previously vacant.
- A request to install an elevator in a city-owned property to open up second floor space for space for a new housing development.
- Fitting out a collaborative workspace that provides access to shared workshops and equipment.
Continuum Detail – Infrastructure (Horizontal)
Funding to support improvements to public land and infrastructure that leverages and supports private investment in the community. These are predevelopment and implementation grants for projects that improve public infrastructure such as roadways, streets, bridges, culverts, water/sewer, other public utilities, etc. Investments will be targeted to projects that require the infrastructure improvements or expansion to support and/or facilitate new growth or address road safety issues.
Eligible Applicants:
- All Public Entities
Programs in this Category:
- MassWorks Infrastructure Program
- Rural and Small Town Development Fund
- Housing Choice Grant Program
Projects Supported:
Infrastructure Predevelopment
- Preconstruction: Design / Engineering Documents
Infrastructure Construction
- Public Infrastructure to Support Growth
- Roadway / Streetscape Improvements
- Bridge / Culvert Repair or Replacement
- Water / Sewer Infrastructure
- Public Utility Project (Gas, Electric, etc.)
- Small Town Road Improvements to Enhance Public Safety (aka STRAP)
Example Projects:
- A request for water and sewer upgrades to a previously used site that will now be made into market rate housing.
- A request to update a culvert under a road way leading to new private development for mixed use that creates new industrial space and rental housing.
- A request to repair at-risk municipal bridges that affect evacuation routes and/or access to commercial centers or transportation nodes.