Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley came bearing a big gift for Chelsea on Monday at City Hall.
Pressley presented city and community leaders with a $2 million check representing federal Community Project Funds that will help pay for the city’s Broadway corridor reconstruction project.
Pressley and the other local leaders who spoke on Monday emphasized that the project is about more than just paving an important city street, but about providing safety, mobility, and equity for local businesses and residents in an underserved community.
“We are here to celebrate and uplift the $2 million investment made through Community Project Funding,” said Pressley. “It has truly been my honor to fight alongside everyone here today to deliver these federal funds.”
Pressley also thanked Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey for their support in helping to secure the funding.
“This funding will support the improvement of the Broadway corridor, home to an array of small businesses, vibrant public spaces, high-frequency public transit routes, and residential housing,” said Pressley. “The project envisions a comprehensive reconstruction of treescape and utilities and infrastructure to address safety issues and ultimately save lives, to enhance accessible and safe public transit, and to promote an equitable economic recovery to the city and its residents.”
Pressley said the project strives to create a sustainable and thriving urban environment.
“I do believe that our greatest wealth as a Commonwealth is the health of our people and I do believe that this supports our health in every single way, whether you are talking about the vibrancy and resiliency of our small businesses or you are talking about literal public safety and making sure that people can navigate this corridor safely and have that peace of mind,” said Pressley.
City Council President Leo Robinson said the city was grateful to Pressley for securing the much-needed funds to support the city’s goal of revitalizing the downtown.
“The downtown Broadway corridor is a cornerstone of the city’s economic development,” said Robinson. “The city council has invested significant resources and city staff have concentrated and led a variety of programs in the downtown.”
Some of those programs include the storefront improvement program, the redesign of Bellingham Square Plaza, and public transportation improvements.
The Broadway corridor project is a significant infrastructure project vital for the future of the downtown, the council president said.
“This project will improve water quality as well as ensure an uninterrupted supply of clean water by replacing all the lead water pipes,” said Robinson. “Moreover, the project will upgrade utilities to promote future economic development such as new community development and mixed-income housing … Upon completion of this project, it will unlock unprecedented opportunities for economic and small business development.”
State Representative and City Councilor Judith Garcia said she has heard from residents and small business owners for years about the need for improvements in the Broadway corridor.
Garcia also noted that the corridor has one of the most dangerous intersections in the state, one that has seen fatal accidents in the past.
“That is going to end as soon as we put this money to work,” said Garcia.
State Senator Sal DiDomenico thanked Pressley for being a representative who is a champion and fighter for her constituents.
“These investments go beyond the dollars you are seeing in bricks and mortar and in pavement and sidewalks,” said DiDomenico. “They create opportunities for our businesses, for our residents and give them resources for them to live, to buy food, to support their families, and for housing. All of that starts with getting a fair shake, a fair opportunity to succeed in our community, and our congresswoman has been doing that.”
In addition to the city officials and elected leaders, representatives from community partners including La Colaborativa, GreenRoots, The Neighborhood Developers, and the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce attended Monday’s press conference at City Hall.