Funding Will Assist in Roadway Improvements, Implementation of Updated Master Plan
AVON — Town Administrator Gregory Enos and Department of Public Works Director William Fitzgerald are pleased to announce that the Town of Avon has received multiple grant awards that will help fund improvements to the Rock and Gill Street area and also help fund the implementation of a new Master Plan for the Town.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials to announce more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities across the state. The awards are through the Baker-Polito Administration’s Community One Stop for Growth program.
Community One Stop for Growth is a single application portal that provides a streamlined, collaborative review process of 12 state grant programs that fund economic development projects related to community capacity building, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction and infrastructure.
The announcement was made at the Berkshire Innovation Center in the City of Pittsfield.
The Town of Avon will receive two awards through the program, including:
- MassWorks Infrastructure Program: $1 million
- Rural and Small Town Development Fund: $150,000
“We are extremely grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration and the Community One Stop for Growth program for this grant funding,” Director Fitzgerald said. “This funding will help the Town with both immediate infrastructure needs and long-term planning goals that will benefit our residents for many years to come.”
This most recent grant funding is the latest awarded to the Town in recent months, following the awarding of a $333,500 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant to fund the DeMarco Park Universal Accessibility Redevelopment Project last month.
MassWorks Grant
MassWorks is the largest program in the One Stop portfolio, awarding $100 million in grant awards this year. It offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate housing production and job growth.
For Avon, MassWorks funding will be used to support the STRAP (Small Town Rural Assistance Program) project, with improvements to undermined/failing culverts on Gill and Rock Streets, the reconstruction of 2,325 feet of road, and the installation of sidewalks on Gill Street. The town will also be replacing the water line on Rock Street.
The $1 million total is the maximum allowed as part of the program. Three of Avon’s most recent MassWorks grants, in addition to this most recent one, have all been from the STRAP category.
Rural and Small Town Grant
The Rural and Small Town Grant Program provides funding for capital and community planning projects in rural and small towns. The program awards funds based on the project’s nexus with housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and community development.
For Avon, Rural and Small Town Grant funding will help fund updating the Town of Avon’s nearly 25-year-old Master Plan, which is a document that seeks to guide future community growth in a variety of areas.
The Town of Avon wishes to thank its State Delegation, including Representative William Galvin, Senator Walter Timilty and Senator Michael Brady, for their work advocating for and assisting the Town with a variety of grant funding from the State level.
The full list of grants awarded as part of the Community One Stop for Growth program can be found here.
“Since taking office, we have been proud to make significant investments in helping our cities, towns and local partners achieve their economic development goals through a range of grant programs and legislation aimed at advancing the diverse needs of municipalities across the state,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a statement. “The projects awarded funding today build upon that work and will create jobs, build housing, revitalize spaces and empower communities in every region of the Commonwealth.”
For more information on Community One Stop for Growth, click here.
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