New Bedford Councillor Looks To California to Revitalize Mill Buildings

NEW BEDFORD - Though at least two of New Bedford's former mill buildings have been completely renovated into luxury lofts, many vacant and underutilized industrial structures stand dormant throughout the city.

New Bedford City Councillor at Large Ian Abreu wants to pitch those structures, along with shuttered churches, to the Urban Smart Growth property management company in California, to see if they can come up with feasible uses for the buildings.

Abreu tells WBSM News the idea is all about bolstering the city's tax rolls. "It's quite evident to me and many of my colleagues that we need to bring more revenue into this community. Whether it's through the commercial or residential basis, we need to be fully engaged in this process," says Abreu.

Abreu is asking the council at Thursday night's meeting to send a letter to Urban Smart Growth to see if they'd be interested in visiting the city and assessing it's large vacant or underutilized structures.