The Massachusetts Gaming Commission awards nearly $2 Million in grants from Community Mitigation Fund
- June 28, 2017
- by MGC Communications
- 0 comments
Grant program established to assist entities in addressing casino-related impacts
Today the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the award of nearly $2 Million in Community Mitigation grants to several municipalities and other eligible entities across Massachusetts. The Gaming Law created the Community Mitigation Fund to help entities offset costs related to the construction and operations of gaming establishments. The Gaming Law states that the Commission will issue funds to assist host and surrounding communities … “including, but not limited to, communities and water and sewer districts in the vicinity of a gaming establishment, local and regional education, transportation, infrastructure, housing, environmental issues and public safety, including the office of the county district attorney, police, fire, and emergency services.” The Commission may also distribute funds to a governmental entity or district other than a single municipality in order to implement a mitigation measure that affects more than one community.
“The Community Mitigation Fund program underscores the Commonwealth’s commitment to not only maximizing the benefits associated with expanded gaming such as jobs and economic development, but also the Legislature’s strong mandate to mitigate any unintended consequences that potentially correlate with the arrival of casinos,” said MGC Chairman Steve Crosby. “This is only the beginning of our ongoing efforts in assessing impacts and maximizing the benefits of gaming.”
A Community Mitigation review team conducted a comprehensive review of all applications to ensure compliance with the 2017 guidelines. The review team made recommendations to the Commission and those recommendations were discussed in a series of public meetings. Based on those discussions, the Commission voted to award the following grants:
| GRANTS AWARDED | 2017 TYPE OF APPLICATION | AWARD | DESCRIPTION |
| City of Everett | Specific | $150,000.00 | The grant will provide funding for a bike sharing service in Everett that will help Everett lessen potential casino related construction and operation period traffic congestion. |
| City of Everett | Transportation | $150,000.00 | The grant will provide funding for the preliminary design and engineering of a bus-only lane on the west side of Broadway/Route 99 from the Everett city line to Route 16 / Sweetser Circle, a primary traffic corridor for expected casino related traffic. |
| City of Lynn | Transportation | $100,000.00 | The grant will provide funding for transportation planning studies to help alleviate potential casino related traffic impacts on Lynn roads. |
| Norfolk District Attorney’s Office | Specific | $25,000.00 | The grant will provide funding to develop a data system to help the Norfolk County DA’s Office determine casino related impacts on Office resources and caseloads. |
| Town of Plainville | Specific | $148,750.00 | The grant will provide funding for the purchase of a fire suppression vehicle for the Plainridge Park facility. |
| Town of Plainville | Reserve | $98,397.92 | This grant will provide funding for public safety radios that can work in the Plainridge Park facility, a cardiac monitor, and body armor to be used in responding to events at Plainridge Park. |
| City of Springfield | Specific | $31,523.00 | The grant will fund the continuation of a valet pilot program for the Caring Health Center and other area businesses impacted by construction. |
| City of Boston | Transportation | $150,000 | The grant will provide funding for a portion of the City’s engineering design costs for a proposed reconstruction of Sullivan Square / Rutherford Avenue, a major traffic corridor expected to support casino related traffic and traffic from other traffic generators over the long term. |
| City of Boston | Reserve | $100,000 | In conjunction with Boston’s 2017 Transportation Planning Grant, this grant will provide funding for a portion of the City’s engineering design costs for a proposed reconstruction of Sullivan Square / Rutherford Avenue, a major traffic corridor expected to support casino related traffic and traffic from other traffic generators over the long term. |
| City of Medford | Transportation | $80,000 | The grant will provide a full year’s worth of funding for a contract transportation planner and funding for an engineering feasibility study for a proposed new multi-use path. A new multi-use path (the South Medford Connector) may greatly enhance connections to other regional pathways and provide another method for employees and patrons to access the casino. |
| City of Revere/Town of Saugus | Transportation | $150,000 | This grant will provide funding for a shared transportation planner to help the two communities plan to address casino related transportation issues. This innovative sub-regional cooperative effort is designed to help the two communities focus on achievable transportation improvement projects involving roadways that may be impacted by casino related traffic. |
| City of Somerville | Transportation | $150,000 | The grant provides funds to initiate a formal planning study of the intersection of Interstate 93, State Route 28 (Fellsway/McGrath Highway) and State Route 38 (Mystic Avenue), which already experiences one of the highest crash rates in the state and may be impacted by casino related traffic. A consultant team will be engaged to conduct public engagement, alternatives analysis, and concept design. |
| City of Somerville | Reserve | $100,000 | The grant will provide funding for baseline data collection for two areas that may be impacted by casino related traffic, near-highway air pollution and vehicular traffic patterns. The City can use such data when comparing such pollution and traffic patterns once the casino is operational. |
| Town of West Springfield | Transportation | $150,000 | The grant will provide funding for engineering design services for improvements to the Elm Street (Route 20) corridor from Westfield Street to Park Street to enable the town to better accommodate casino related traffic and to improve pedestrian, bicycle and public transit access and safety. |
| Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (“SRPEDD”) |
Tribal Gaming Technical Assistance Grant (Reserve) |
$200,000 | Upon a determination by the Commission that construction of a proposed Taunton gaming facility will likely commence during Fiscal Year 2018, this reserve would provide funding to the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) for technical assistance funding to assist in the determination of potential impacts that may be experienced by communities that are geographically proximate to such proposed facility. |
| City of Malden | Transportation | $150,000.00 | The grant would provide funding for planning and design of improvements to Exchange Street from Pleasant Street to Main Street. The area was named as a hub for parking and transport for both casino employees and patrons to the site. |
Visit the Community Mitigation Fund page on MassGaming.com to learn more about the 2017 applications and guidelines.