The five-year, $900 million economic development bill filed by the governor on Jan. 28 includes nearly $500 million for the MassWorks program, which provides infrastructure funding to cities and towns to support economic development and job creation.
 
Additional capital spending includes $25 million in capital grants for community-based innovation efforts, $75 million for a new grant program for workforce development training equipment, and $50 million for the Transformative Development Initiative, aimed at sparking growth in the state’s Gateway Cities.
 
Funding would be allocated largely through the state’s capital program, meaning that it would be funded primarily through bond sales rather than appropriations or the state budget.
 
In addition to capital spending, the bill (H. 3983) would make minor reforms to some state laws that have an impact on businesses.
 
The bill could add $20 million in flexible spending to the state’s $30 million Economic Development Initiative Program to be made available in cases of “extraordinary opportunity,” which would be defined by the number of jobs created.
 
The bill would also make changes to the Housing Development Incentive Program, establishing a municipal tax-break program to encourage housing production. It also would enable cities and towns to create demand-based parking fees and to use that revenue to fund infrastructure improvements in downtowns.
 
The bill would capitalize the Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund, which the administration argues would provide a more reliable funding stream for cities and towns seeking to use the fund. Similarly, the bill would also create a dedicated funding source ($75 million) for brownfields redevelopment.
 
Small changes would be made to the state’s so-called “Blue Laws” as they apply to distribution centers operated by online retailers. The bill would also make several changes to state liquor laws.
 
The bill is currently before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
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