By Adam Swift
Chelsea is one of six Gateway Cities in the state recently chosen by MassDevelopment to participate in its Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), a competitive program designed to accelerate economic growth within focused downtown neighborhoods or commercial districts.
The newly designated districts within the cities of Chelsea, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lowell, Malden, and Peabody will be awarded TDI fellows – MassDevelopment employees who will provide on-the-ground economic development expertise and collaborative leadership – and will have access to a range of tools to help accelerate development, including technical assistance, grants, and more during a three-year period.
In Chelsea, the newly created district will be called “El Centro” and will straddle Downtown Broadway and Everett Avenue to bring foot traffic to and from the Commuter Rail and Chelsea’s Downtown District, according to Chelsea Director of Planning and Community Development Ben Cares.
“The Transformative Development Initiative gives Chelsea a structured way to align public investment, private energy, and community leadership in our Downtown District,” said Cares. “This is about strengthening our small business ecosystem, activating our public realm, and reinforcing the identity and pride that define Chelsea.”
Cares said the TDI is an effort to leverage partnerships and network into the community to bring about new ideas and fresh perspectives to invigorate one of the busiest and lively parts of Chelsea. The city’s primary partners in the district will be the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, the Apollinaire Theatre Company, and Bunker Hill Community College.
“We are trying to leverage new growth around the commuter rail station, and we feel this effort is a great way to honor that sentiment in the master plan,” said Cares. “That is our focus right now, to continue to support our downtown business community, but also to try to bring some connectivity and foot traffic into downtown from the folks who are living around the commuter rail station.”
Part of the TDI process with MassDevelopment is selecting a professional fellow who would be the liaison between the programmatic staff at MassDevelopment and would work with and be based in the city, Cares said.
In bringing in the chamber of commerce, the theater, and the college as partners, Cares said it represents a great cross section of Chelsea’s business, cultural, and educational life.
Having the chamber on as a partner means the city can help extend more resources to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“Then having the Apollinaire Theatre as a partner, they are really a cultural and arts anchor of our downtown and they bring a lot of interest into the community from those spaces and one of the visions for this district is to really enhance those cultural and arts features,” said Cares. “It is something that we feel will bring together community cohesion in the district, and it’s great to have one entity that can serve as an advisor and have a representative of the community.”
Having Bunker Hill Community College as a partner helps small businesses through its Enterprise Center as well providing workforce development opportunities.
While the partners will play a big role in the shape of the TDI district, Cares said there will also be much communication with residents and businesses to make sure the city is honoring what people want to see in their urban environment.
“I also feel that with it being MassDevelopment that is supporting this initiative, it really brings in tangible financial and technical assistance and resources to the district to activate underutilized properties or commercial spaces, to bring in outside investment … to make different developments or improvements to the businesses and our community a reality,” said Cares.
MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative brings a full-time economic development professional and a suite of tools and resources to help cities advance a shared vision for their downtown or commercial district, said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, who serves as Chair of MassDevelopment’s Board of Directors.
“We look forward to seeing how this program continues to help communities strengthen local partnerships, support small businesses, foster vibrancy, and lay the groundwork for additional investment,” Paley said.
MassDevelopment is the state’s development finance agency and land bank, delivering financing solutions, real estate expertise, and other assistance to strengthen and grow the Massachusetts economy. It partners with businesses, nonprofits, developers, banks, and municipalities, providing resources to help create jobs, build housing, and foster vibrant communities across the state.