BEDFORD — Yesterday, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy was joined by state and local officials to announce a $500,000 MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant to the town of Bedford to support the design of sewer system upgrades in the town’s Crosby Drive business district and Middlesex Turnpike corridor.  Bedford’s MassWorks award is a Predevelopment Grant, a first-year program in the Community One Stop for Growth, that will support approximately $150 million in private investment for planned biomanufacturing developments.    “This MassWorks award will allow for significant private investment that will expand biomanufacturing’s footprint in Bedford while creating hundreds of new jobs,” said Governor Charlie Baker.  “By supporting key infrastructure upgrades through the MassWorks program, our Administration can partner with communities like Bedford to help accelerate progress toward their development goals.”   “As a first-year program in the One Stop, MassWorks’ Predevelopment Grants help fund exactly the kinds of projects like this that support ongoing and planned development,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.  “Congratulations to Bedford on this award and for their success in working collaboratively to help create new jobs.”    “Throughout the Commonwealth, we see example after example of how key infrastructure projects have direct impacts on transformative development in communities that plan for growth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.  “Thanks to this MassWorks grant, Bedford can execute on their plans to attract more private development and create new jobs, which will also maintain the Commonwealth’s status as a global leader in biomanufacturing.”    The sewer upgrade project builds on a 2020 market study and strategy plan prepared in partnership with the MassDevelopment Real Estate Technical Assistance program. The MassWorks award will support the engineering of an expanded pump station, 2,500 feet of sewer mains, and 1,230 feet of gravity sewer piping.      The project, which also leverages $500,000 in private funds, will advance the town’s strategy for growth in the life-science sector.  While construction of a 100,000-sqaure-foot biomanufacturing facility is currently underway by Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, these upgrades are expected to unlock another 70,000 square feet of planned space by Ultragenyx.  Ultragenyx received prior support for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which provided a $790,952 Tax Incentive award to help create 50 full time jobs. Additionally, the sewer upgrades will support a separate 140,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility proposed by Gutierrez Company.   Collectively, these developments will be built as a result of private investment totaling approximately $150 million and are expected to create more than 500 permanent jobs after full buildout and occupancy.    Bedford’s award is part of this year’s round of MassWorks Infrastructure Program Grants announced recently and is included among 56 grants – the largest number of awards in a single year in six years – totaling $66.5 million to 50 communities.  Among this year’s MassWorks projects, 29 are reactivating underutilized sites, 27 are supporting transit-oriented developments and 29 have a mixed-use component.  Additionally, 14 communities are receiving their first ever MassWorks award.   Including this year’s round, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded 326 MassWorks grants to 181 communities and has invested over $608 million in public infrastructure projects throughout the Commonwealth. These grants have directly supported the creation of 21,000 new housing units and tens of thousands of new construction and permanent jobs, while also leveraging over $13 billion in private investment.    MassWorks is a competitive program that offers cities and towns flexible capital funding to support and accelerate housing production and job growth and is the largest program in Community One Stop for Growth.  The One Stop is a single application portal and collaborative review process for multiple grant programs launched in January 2021 to make targeted investments based on a development continuum.

Including MassWorks grants, the Community One Stop for Growth program awarded $88 million for 196 projects in 122 communities across the Commonwealth in its first year.  Of the 196 projects awarded, nearly one-third were located in a rural or small town, half were located in a Housing Choice Community, and one-third were located in a Gateway City.   “The Town of Bedford is thrilled to receive this MassWorks grant,” said Bedford Town Manager Sarah A. Stanton.  “These funds will be used to invest in water and sewer infrastructure improvements that are vital to our economic development strategy and will enable the Middlesex Turnpike Corridor to continue to attract business investment. Thank you to the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and the Baker-Polito Administration, and to our state legislative delegation for their support of the MassWorks program.”   "The Commonwealth's investment in this project will enable the town to make important infrastructure improvements and support the growing life science industry here in Bedford,” said Representative Ken Gordon. “Life science companies like Ultragenyx are important drivers of our regional economy and the jobs created by this project will attract talented workers who dine at our local restaurants and support our small businesses. I'm grateful to Secretary Kennealy for prioritizing this project and the leaders in Bedford for their continued efforts to move this project forward."   The full list of this year’s MassWorks grant recipients can be found here.

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