About the 2023 Community Mitigation Fund

The Massachusetts Legislature legalized casino gaming to produce broad-based economic development, including jobs and revenue. The Legislature also established an equally important mandate to mitigate unintended impacts associated with the arrival of casino gaming. To that end, the Expanded Gaming Act created the Community Mitigation Fund to support communities and governmental entities in offsetting impact costs related to the construction and operation of gaming facilities.

Since 2015, the MGC has issued approximately $38 million in funding to advance needs in transportation, community planning, workforce development and public safety for municipalities and government entities located in the vicinity of the casinos.

The application period for the 2023 Community Mitigation Fund is now closed. Applications were due by January 31, 2023.

As of CY2023, the CMF offered grants in:

• Transportation Planning
• Transportation Construction
• Projects of Regional Significance
• Workforce Development
• Community Planning
• Public Safety
• Gaming Harm Reduction
• “Specific Impacts” relating to the operation of a gaming establishment

2023 Community Mitigation Fund Applications

Community Planning Grants

• City of Everett: Funding for a feasibility study to restore the seawall and Charlestown Pumping Station and the extension of the Mystic River Harborwalk.
  • Award: $199,100 | Application
• Town of Foxboro: Continued and expanded implementation of the strategies outlined in the Regional Destination Marketing Plan.
  • Award: $272,000 | Application
• City of Holyoke: Tourism funding to develop local resources and identity ways to offset regional investment lost to competition with Springfield.
  • Award: $200,000 | Application
• City of Holyoke: Funding for the development of a Wayfinding program in multiple languages.
  • Award: $200,000 | Application
• City of Malden: Funding for a Transit Oriented Development Opportunities Study for the Malden Center MBTA Station.
  • Award: $100,000 | Application

Community Planning Grant Applications Not Awarded

• City of Revere 2023 Squire Road Community Planning Application

Gambling Harm Reduction Grants

• City of Springfield: Study to engage youth 18-24 in identifying problem gaming issues that need further investigation.
  • Award: $19,600 | Application

Gambling Harm Reduction Grant Applications Not Awarded

• SAFE Coalition Inc. 2023 Gambling Harm Reduction Planning Application

Projects of Regional Significance Grants

• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission: Funding for the development of the Regional Business Ecosystem Network to implement a new capacity-building network of regional business coalitions and resources to grow successful small- and micro-businesses, especially in underserved communities, helping MGM to meet its target goals for the regional economy.
  • Award: $485,600 | Award

Public Safety Grants

• City of Boston Police Department: Training for Human Trafficking Unit, Youth Violence Strike Force, Drug Control Unit. Increasing Traffic Safety Patrols.
  • Award: $65,000 | Application
• City of Everett Fire Department: Training for high-rise and below-grade firefighting, crowd management and lithium-ion battery fires.
  • Award: $45,000 | Application
• City of Everett Police Department: Overtime funding for Encore area police patrols due to increased activity.
  • Award: $104,100 | Application
• City of Everett Police Department: Outfitting Conex storage unit with video surveillance, interoperable radio system, Everett Police paint and graphics.
  • Award: $18,700 | Application
• Town of Foxborough Police Department: Police training costs $42,400 and for issues related to hotel calls for service $19,000.
  • Award: $61,400 | Application
• Town of Hampden Police Department: Funding of special 4-hour traffic enforcement shifts and purchase of two pole radar units and a handheld radar unit.
  • Award: $15,300 | Application
• Town of Longmeadow Police Department: Purchase of cameras, and solar-powered Speed Alert radar message signs with data management system; installation of a side street camera detection system; and 1.8 miles of additional fiber optic cable.
  • Award: $192,400 | Application
• Town of Ludlow Police Department: Trainings, including Anti-Bias/De-escalation.
  • Award: $31,800 | Application
• City of Malden Police Department: Purchase of two electric vehicles for three officers assigned to traffic complaints and a Speed Alert Radar Message Board.
  • Award: $17,900 | Application
• City of Medford Police Department: Purchase of one hybrid police traffic safety vehicle, 11 Speed Alert Radar Message Signs, and 2 Message Display Signs.
  • Award: $130,000 | Application
• Town of Plainville Fire Department: Purchase of four Electric Vehicle Fire Blankets.
  • Award: $13,180 | Application
• Town of Plainville Police Department: Force Science Certification to prepare law enforcement professionals.
  • Award: $123,750 | Application
• City of Revere Police Department: Lease of eight solar-powered License Plate Recognition Cameras for 36 months.
  • Award: $64,000 | Application
• City of Springfield Fire Department: Purchase of seven Defibrillator Units for the apparatus that responds to the Casino area.
  • Award: $19,800 | Application
• City of Springfield Police Department: Funding for Overtime costs in the amount of $50,000; sexual assault training $12,000; interlocking steel barricades $4,800; a Metro Division drone 48,800.
  • Award: $135,200 | Application
• City of Springfield: Springfield Health and Human Services aims to decrease OUIs by hiring a fulltime Community Health Worker to provide education, marketing, and research to develop public awareness.
  • Award: $191,200 | Application
• Town of West Springfield Police & Fire Departments: Additional Funding for Police, Fire and EMS.
  • Award: $200,000 | Application
• Town of Wilbraham Police & Fire Departments: Purchase of 10 police vehicle radios, five fire vehicle radios and one police portable radio to be upgraded to have Phase 2 Trucking compatibility.
  • Award: $42,800 | Application
• Town of Wrentham Police Department: Purchase two Speed Alert 24 radar message signs for crime prevention, traffic enforcement and driver education.
  • Award: $44,900 | Application

Public Safety Grant Applications Not Awarded

• City of Everett Fire Department 2023 Inspection Vehicle Public Safety Application
• City of Everett Police Department 2023 EV Specific Impact Application
• City of Melrose 2023 Police & Fire Radio Public Safety Application
• Town of Plainville Police Department 2023 Resource Officer Public Safety Application

Specific Impact Grants

• City of Boston: One year of cultural and arts programming through the Pao Arts Center to provide healthy spaces for those most at-risk for problem gambling.
  • Award: $283,000 | Application
• Hampden County District Attorney’s Office: Continued funding for DA personnel to handle casino-related prosecutions.
  • Award: $75,000 | Application
• Hampden County Sheriff’s Department: Lease Assistance for the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center.
  • Award: $400,000 | Application
• Town of Saugus: Planting native shade trees along bus routes to provide shade and improved air quality for patrons and employees.
  • Award: $100,000 | Application

Specific Impact Grant Applications Not Awarded

• Town of Mansfield Police Department 2023 Specific Impact Application

Transportation Construction Grant Applications

• City of Everett: Funding for the construction of the Wellington Connector trail, which connects the Northern Strand bike path to the Woods Memorial Bridge.
  • Award: $350,000 | Application
• City of Everett: Supplemental funds for construction of the Northern Strand Bike Path extension. The project incurred several construction challenges and necessary scope increases.
  • Award: $335,260 | Application
• City of Malden: Funding for two additional Blue Bike Stations.
  • Award: $113,000 | Application
• City of Malden: Funding for the construction of a portion of the Malden River Works Park project and the Malden River Greenway which will allow public access to the Malden River.
  • Award: $542,400 | Application
• City of Springfield: Funding for the reconstruction of Dwight Street from Worthington to State Street.
  • Award: $966,700 | Application
• City of Springfield: The Central Mixed-Use Parking Infrastructure Project seeks to solve for area parking deficiencies, improve traffic flow, and assist new economic development in the MGM Springfield and MassMutual area.
  • Award: $1,500,000 | Application

Transportation Construction Grant Applications Withdrawn

• City of Boston Transportation Dept. 2023 Alford Transportation Construction Application
• City of Boston 2023 Bluebikes Specific Impact Application

Transportation Planning Grants

• City of Cambridge: Funding for the planning and design of an off-road, multi-use path connection between the Grand Junction Path and the Community Path Extension in Somerville.
  • Award: $249,900 | Application
• City of Everett: Funding for the design of an extension of the Mystic River Harbor Walk from Encore Boston Harbor to the Alford Street Bridge/Route 99.
  • Award: $248,000 | Application
• Town of Hampden: Funding for the design of a sidewalk on Main Street.
  • Award: $203,100 | Application
• City of Holyoke: Perform initial complete streets engineering design work on Main Street from Jackson Street to Mosher Street.
  • Award: $82,300 | Application
• City of Malden: Awarded partial funding, which will enable it to apply for additional funding such as the TIP Program.
  • Award: $250,000 | Application
• City of Malden: Awarded partial funding for the final design of the Spot Pond Brook Greenway, which would connect Malden’s Oak Grove Neighborhood with the Northern Strand Trail and Malden River.
  • Award: $250,000 | Application
• City of Springfield: Funding for the design of traffic control improvements for the Union Street and Maple Street Intersection.
  • Award: $250,000 | Application

Transportation Planning Grant Applications Withdrawn

• Town of Agawam 2023 Suffield St. & Silver St. Transportation Planning Application
• City of Boston Transportation Dept. 2023 Sullivan Sq. Transportation Planning Application

Transportation Planning Grant Applications Not Awarded

• City of Melrose 2023 Lebanon St. TIP Transportation Planning Application
• Town of West Springfield 2023 Elm Street Transportation Planning Application

Workforce Development Programs Applications

• Holyoke Community College: Work Ready 2023 is a collaborative effort of HCC, STCC, and SPS to provide adult education, career readiness and occupational training to connect residents to education, training, and employment opportunities.
  • Award: $350,000 | Application
• MassHire: MBRHC is a regional project aimed at addressing the workforce needs of the hospitality sector. Partners will provide English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training, occupational skills training, job readiness training, digital literacy training, and career counseling.
  • Award: $500,000 | Application
• Springfield Technical Community College
  • Award: $185,000

2023 Community Mitigation Fund Instructions

Please find below the guidelines and application documents for the 2023 Community Mitigation Fund grant round.

For any questions please contact Senior Program Manager at  Mary.Thurlow@massgaming.gov or 617-979-8420. Completed Applications should be sent to MGCCMF@Massgaming.gov.

• 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Guidelines
• 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Instructions
• Letter from the Chair on the 2023 Community Mitigation Fund

2023 Community Mitigation Fund Application Materials

• Community Planning Application
• Public Safety Application
• Transportation Construction Application
• Projects of Regional Significance Application
• Gambling Harm Reduction Application
• Gambling Harm Reduction Planning Application
• Transportation Planning Application
• Workforce Development Application
• Specific Impact Application

2023 Community Mitigation Fund Guidelines

Please find below the 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Guidelines. These guidelines were developed by the Community Mitigation Fund review team and released for public comment. They were approved by the Commission on November 10 2022.

• 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Guidelines