Special to the Record
MassDevelopment, which finances and supports economic development projects across Massachusetts, has selected Chelsea as one of six Gateway Cities to participate in its Transformative Development Initiative (TDI). The competitive program is designed to accelerate economic growth within focused downtown neighborhoods or commercial districts. Chelsea joins Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lowell, Malden, and Peabody in this cohort.
Through the program, a newly designated district in Chelsea, called “El Centro,” will receive a TDI fellow—a MassDevelopment employee who will provide on-the-ground economic development expertise and collaborative leadership—and access to technical assistance, grants, and other resources over a three-year period.
“TDI will provide the capacity and tools to help accelerate economic growth in and around Chelsea’s downtown commercial core, while building on the energy that defines our community,” said Ben Cares, Director of Housing & Community Development. “This effort will be further supported by a growing network of partners, which currently include the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, Bunker Hill Community College, and the Apollinaire Theatre Company.”
The program focuses on real estate development, small business stability and growth, arts and cultural amenities, placemaking, and strategic planning—all built on a foundation of community engagement and cross-sector partnership. The program will help to transform Chelsea’s downtown district into a thriving, connected, and inclusive destination.
TDI districts are walkable, dense neighborhoods with the potential to attract investment and drive economic growth. The program requires cities to assemble and expand a cross-sector partnership to apply and, over the course of the program, works to make that partnership more representative of the neighborhood and strengthen lasting working relationships.