Greater New Bedford Gets Over $2 Million in State Grants

NEW BEDFORD — Projects based in New Bedford and Fairhaven — including the redevelopment of the Capitol Theater and the Glaser Glass buildings — have been awarded more than $2 million in state economic development grants.

Announced this week, the funding comes from the state's Community One Stop for Growth, which make targeted investments in programs and projects to help spur growth in Massachusetts communities.

New Bedford projects have been awarded $2 million in funding, including $900,000 towards redeveloping the city's old Capitol Theater in the North End and $900,000 to redevelop the Glaser Glass building into a high-tech robotics space.

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The joint Community Development Economic Center/Waterfront Historic Area League project to turn the disused Capitol Theater on Acushnet Avenue into mixed-use retail and office space is expected to cost somewhere around $6 million in total.

According to the grant website, the early 20th-century theater will be fully built out to provide a range of community programs including a small business incubator and six affordable apartments on the second story.

Meanwhile the former Glaser Glass building on Purchase Street will turn into a new home for New Bedford Research & Robotics, an organization that aims to provide access to frontier technologies through education and public programs as well as entrepreneurial activities.

Other state grants in the city include $100,000 for the Southcoast LGBTQ Network to build a commercial kitchen in its historic Eighth Street headquarters, $50,000 to DATMA for an art and design program called SHELTER 2022-2023, and $25,000 to the Discovery Language Academy to finish its economic development hub.

A $25,000 grant was also awarded to the city of New Bedford as part of a Massachusetts Downtown Initiative project to revitalize the city's downtown area.

Finally, the town of Fairhaven has received $75,000 for its Community Planning Grant Program.

"These projects represent significant state investments in our community to help stimulate economic growth and to further enhance the quality of life we enjoy in New Bedford," said Senator Mark Montigny, who represents New Bedford in the state senate.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell commented, "The redevelopment of the Capital Theater and the New Bedford Research and Robotics initiative are both promising projects, and the state’s strategic investment provides much needed support at an important stage."

"I appreciate the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to helping these projects advance, and I congratulate both the CEDC and NBRR on their progress," he added.

Other SouthCoast communities also received large awards, with the city of Fall River gaining nearly $3.5 million — most of which will go towards improving the Rt. 79-Davol Street corridor — and North Attleboro receiving more than $4 million, $3.9 million of which will go to fixing the Rt. 152-Rt. 106 intersection.

The state's Community One Stop for Growth portal streamlines applications for 12 different economic development grants.