An overview of the benefits and unique opportunities that Massachusetts' Gateway Cities offer to the development of biotech and life science companies.
2. MassDevelopment (MDFA) 101
• State’s investment bank & development arm
• A quasi-public state finance and development authority,
MDFA has 177 employees in eight offices, including ones in
Fall River, Lawrence, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester.
• MDFA offers customized financing & development solutions
focusing on housing, job creation, real estate development,
& urban revitalization.
3. Brockton
• 21 miles from Boston, Brockton has
easy access to Routes 24, 495 and
95/128; 3 commuter rail stations; 43D
approved buildings & developable lots of
many sizes; water & sewer capacity;
cadre of post-secondary educational
institutions; and TIF agreements
• 14 MDFA projects since 2004
representing a $14.0 million investment
• $7.3 million bond deals with Pearlmart,
manager of Kinneally Meats real estate
• 81.1% high-school graduate or higher
• 12.1% unemployment
4. Fall River
• High-tech focused South Coast Research and Technology
Park at upper left; new multimillion dollar MEDITECH building
at upper right employs more than 300
• Fall River Industrial Park near Route 24
• Waterfront development plans
• UMass-Dartmouth and Bristol Community College offer
education and training assistance
• 16 MDFA projects since 2004 representing a $28.2 million
investment
• 66.2% high-school graduate or higher; 15.1% unemployment
5. Fitchburg
• City has commuter rail, affordable
quality housing in attractive
neighborhoods, available space near
Route 2, state college, parks & trails
through city & along Nashua River
• Key projects include 470 Main Street at
upper left, a mixed-use housing
development with Twin Cities CDC
• 6 MDFA transactions since 2004
representing a $4.7 million investment
• 80.9% high-school graduate or higher
• 13.3% unemployment
6. Haverhill
• Major developers - Beacon
Communities, EA Fish, & Forest
City (lower right) - all work in City;
Southwick Suits (recent Brooks
Brothers acquisition) moving to
Haverhill
• Commuter rail & Amtrak service
• 16 MDFA deals, including
Cedar’s, since 2004 represent
$65.9 million investment
• 89.1% high-school graduate or
higher; 10.8% unemployment
7. • Available mill
properties (Open
Square in lower
photo), cheap Holyoke
electricity, & great
highway access
• High-Performance
Computing Center
coming to Holyoke
• 20 MDFA deals since
2004 represent $77.3
million investment
• 78.1% high-school
graduate or higher
• 12.7% unemployment
8. Lawrence
• Key projects: Riverwalk, Union Crossing, and Washington
Mills (upper left)
• Key transit connections: Great highway access and Patricia
McGovern Transportation Center (upper right)
• 22 MDFA transactions since 2004 represent $35.5 million
investment; MDFA opened Lawrence office in 2007 & hosted
Developers’ Conference in 2008
• 63.5% high-school graduate or higher; 18.2% unemployment
9. Leominster
• Regional retail hub +
development right off Route 2
• City has flat tax single rate for
business/resident of $12.03
• 40 Spruce Street (right) got
New Markets Tax Credit loan to
buy & renovate key parcel in
“Comb and Carriage” district
• 8 MDFA transactions since
2004 representing an
investment of $3.6 million
• 84.6% high-school graduate or Leominster Avail Business Space
higher www.leominsterproperties.info
• 12.0% unemployment
10. • Structured parking lots
• 165 and 26 Jackson
Street (upper): 385,000
SF with housing & built-
to-suit commercial
Lowell • Hamilton Canal District
(lower): 2 million SF,
360,000+ SF
commercial, 700
housing units, 50,000+
SF retail, $600-800M
private investment
• 20 MDFA transactions
since 2004 representing
$40.4 million investment
& 2009 Developers’
Conference
• 77.1% high-school
graduate or higher;
12.9% unemployment
11. New Bedford
• Historic downtown, revived
waterfront development, largest
port by dollar value of catch,
infrastructure improvements,
airport, successful business
park, and affordable housing
• 27 MDFA projects since March
2004 representing an investment
of $46.4 million
• MDFA hosted Developers’
Conference in 2008
• 64.1% high-school grad or higher
• 15.3% unemployment
12. Pittsfield
• Urban center of the Berkshires
• Diversified local economy powered by cultural-facility
investments in Colonial Theatre (upper right), Berkshire
Museum, & Barrington Stage Company
• William Stanley Business Park
– 52-acre redeveloped Brownfield opportunity concluding
final infrastructure work in preparation of actively marketing site
– Campus-style office park
• LTI Smart Glass: specialized glass manufacturer received
$5 million IDB, resulting in creation of 80+ jobs
• 19 MDFA projects since 2004 representing $18.0 million
investment
• 87.5% high-school graduate or higher; 9.2% unemployment
13. • Proximate to Boston and
New York City & home to
4 colleges
• Court Square: historic
building in city center
with office, residential,
retail potential Springfield
• MDFA purchase of GSA
building will revive Main
Street corridor
• 25 MDFA projects since
2004 represent $138.1M
investment; 2008
Developer Conference
• 74.4% high-school
graduate or higher
• 12.8% unemployment
14. Worcester
• City has growing, highly-educated population (grew more
between 2000-2005 than any MA municipality other than
Boston); air, bus, rail, and road transport options; 60+ cultural
institutions; strong higher-ed institutions; purchasing power
($2.2 billion annual payroll); & available space for leading
industries such as biotechnology.
• Blue Sky Biotech got Emerging Technology Fund loan
• 72 MDFA transactions since 2004 representing $782.1
million
• 2007 T&G op-ed: “Worcester set to be a driver of
Massachusetts’ economy”; 2009 Developers’ Conference
• 83.5% high-school graduate or higher; 10.9% unemployment