Massachusetts Gaming Commission Awards $10.2 Million in Grants from Community Mitigation Fund
- September 25, 2023
- by MGC Communications
- 0 comments
Earlier this summer, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the award of over $10.2 million in Community Mitigation Fund grants to numerous municipalities and other eligible entities across Massachusetts.
Since 2015, the MGC has awarded approximately $47.9 million in grants from the Community Mitigation Fund. The fund, established by the gaming law helps host and surrounding communities and other qualified applicants to offset costs related to casino construction and operation. Grant awards support a range of community needs including education, transportation, infrastructure, housing, environmental issues, public safety, and emergency services. This year the Commission approved two new categories to allow communities to seek funds for regionally significant projects and for community-based research projects.
“The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is proud to continue to support our local communities through the Community Mitigation Fund program as they seek to advance needs in road safety, public safety training and personnel, job readiness programming, and tourism marketing,” said MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein.
“We congratulate the 2023 grant recipients and eagerly await the implementation of these innovative and tangible initiatives, which help strengthen Massachusetts communities and uphold the Commonwealth’s commitment to maximizing the benefits of the state’s gaming industries while mitigating any unintended impacts that may be associated.”
The Community Mitigation Fund review team conducted a comprehensive review of all applications to ensure compliance with the 2023 Guidelines and made recommendations to the Commission over the course of several public meetings throughout the spring of 2023. After deliberation on those recommendations, the Commission voted to award the following grants:
Community Planning
| Applicant | Description | Award Amount |
| Region A | ||
| Everett | Funding for a feasibility study to restore the seawall and Charlestown Pumping Station and the extension of the Mystic River Harborwalk. | $199,100 |
| Malden | Funding for a Transit Oriented Development Opportunities Study for the Malden Center MBTA Station. | $100,000 |
| Region B | ||
| Holyoke | Tourism funding to develop local resources and identity ways to offset regional investment lost to competition with Springfield. | $200,000 |
| Holyoke | Funding for the development of a Wayfinding program in multiple languages. | $200,000 |
| Category 2 | ||
| Foxborough (Plainville & Wrentham) | Continued and expanded implementation of the strategies outlined in the Regional Destination Marketing plan (Phase 1). | $272,000 |
Gambling Harm Reduction
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region B | ||
| Springfield | Study to engage youth 18-24 in identifying problem gaming issues that need further investigation. | $19,600 |
Public Safety
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region A | ||
| Boston Police | Training for Human Trafficking Unit, and Traffic Safety Patrols. | $65,000 |
| Everett Fire | Training for high rise and below grade firefighting, crowd management and lithium-ion battery fires. | $45,000 |
| Everett Police | Overtime funding for Encore area police patrols due to increased activity. | $104,100 |
| Everett Police | Outfitting Conex storage unit with video surveillance, interoperable radio system, Everett Police paint and graphics. | $18,700 |
| Malden Police | Speed Alert Radar Message Board. | $17,900 |
| Medford Police | Speed Alert Radar Message Signs, 2 Message Display Signs and associated equipment and software. | $130,000 |
| Revere Police | Lease of 8 FLOCK solar powered License Plate Recognition Cameras. | $64,000 |
| Region B | ||
| Hampden Police | Funding of special 4-hour traffic enforcement shifts and purchase of two pole radar units and a handheld radar unit. | $15,300 |
| Longmeadow Police | Speed Alert radar message signs with data management system. | $192,400 |
| Ludlow Police | Trainings including Anti Bias/De-escalation. | $31,800 |
| Springfield Fire | Purchase of Defibrillator Units for the apparatus that responds to the Casino area. | $19,800 |
| Springfield Police | Funding for Overtime costs in the amount of $50,000; sexual assault training $12,000; interlocking steel barricades $4,800; a Metro Division drone and training $8,800. | $135,200 |
| Springfield | A problem gambling focused Community Health Worker; Research funding related to casino gambling and OUIs; Program consulting fees to Massachusetts Council on gaming; costs for associated program implementation and advertisement. | $191,200 |
| West Springfield Fire & Police | Additional funding for Police, Fire and EMS. | $200,000 |
| Wilbraham Fire and Police | Update of 10 Police vehicle radios, 5 fire vehicle radios and one police portable radio. | $42,800 |
| Category 2 | ||
| Foxborough Police | Police training costs $42,400 and for issues related to hotel calls for service $19,000. | $61,400 |
| Plainville Police | Force Science Certification to prepare law enforcement professionals. | $123,750 |
| Plainville Fire | Purchase of four Electric Vehicle Fire Blankets. | $13,180 |
| Wrentham Police | Purchase two Speed Alert 24 radar message signs. | $44,900 |
Projects of Regional Significance
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region B | ||
| Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) | Funding for the development of a Regional Business Ecosystem Network $360,000; data collection and gap analysis of small-and micro-businesses; development of a regional equity working group; direct outreach efforts to BIPOC and in underserved communities, and administrative costs $125,000. | $485,600 |
Specific Impact
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region A | ||
| Boston | Funding for a development and communications manager and an engagement coordinator; funding to cover programmatic expenses and program evaluation to provide culturally relevant programming for Pao Arts Center. | $283,000 |
| Saugus | Funding for the selection and mobilization of a contractor to develop a tree planting plan and then funds to cover the cost of the tree planting and care. | $100,000 |
| Region B | ||
| Hampden DA | Continued funding for DA personnel to handle casino-related prosecutions. | $75,000 |
| Hampden County Sheriff | Lease Assistance for the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center. | $400,000 |
Transportation Planning
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region A | ||
| Cambridge | Funding for a consultant to coordinate the planning and design of an off-road, multi-use path connection between the Grand Junction Path and the Community Path Extension in Somerville. | $249,900 |
| Everett | Funding for the design of a shared use path connecting the Northern Strand to Alford St. including data collecting and related design work. | $248,000 |
| Malden – Broadway | Awarded partial funding to advance design of the Broadway Corridor to 25% design stage. | $250,000 |
| Malden – Spot Pond | Awarded partial funding for the final design of the Spot Pond Brook Greenway connecting Malden’s Oak Grove Neighborhood with the Northern Strand Trail and Malden River. | $250,000 |
| Region B | ||
| Hampden | Funding for the design of a sidewalk on Main Street. | $203,100 |
| Holyoke | Fund the initial design of Main Street Complete Streets Reconstruction Project for inclusion in the State’s TIP. | $82,300 |
| Springfield | Funding for the design of traffic control improvements for the Union Street and Maple Street Intersection. | $250,000 |
Transportation Construction
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region A | ||
| Everett | Funding for the construction of the Wellington Connector trail which connects the Northern Strand bike path to the Woods Memorial Bridge. | $336,700 |
| Everett | Supplemental funds for construction of the Northern Strand Bike Path extension. | $335,260 |
| Malden | Funding for two additional Blue Bike Stations. | $113,000 |
| 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. | $542,400 |
| Region B | ||
| Springfield | Funding for the reconstruction of Dwight Street from Worthington to State Street. | $966,700 |
| 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. | $1,500,000 |
Workforce Development
| Applicant | Description | Award |
| Region A | ||
| 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. | $500,000 |
| Region B | ||
| Holyoke Community College Region B | WorkReady 2023 is a collaborative effort of HCC, STCC, and SPS to provide ESOL Training, Job Readiness training, Occupational Skills Training, Digital Literacy Training, Career Counseling and Support Services. | $350,000 |
| Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) | See above. | $185,000 |
Visit MassGaming.com to learn more about the 2023 applications and guidelines.