Priority Sites New Bedford Whaling City Business Park New Bedford | 581 Hathaway Road The City of New Bedford is currently seeking private development partners to transform part of the Whaling City Golf Course into a 100-acre business park, ideally an Advanced Manufacturing Campus.34 At full build-out, the new business park would support about 1 million square feet of industrial and commercial space, create 1,000 new jobs, and generate approximately $2.6 million in annual tax revenue. Preliminary planning ongoing. Primary Owner(s): City of New Bedford
Strengths
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Total Available Acres: 100
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Development Type: Redevelopment
Proposed Investments and Initiatives: The project would require new roadways and potential water and sewer infrastructure. The site may also be eligible for incentive programs, such as Chapter 43D, Tax Increment Financing, or District Improvement Financing. Related Sites: New Bedford Regional Airport and the nearby North New Bedford MBTA Commuter Rail station area and TOD District. 34 The City is currently working with the development community to make amendments to and address feasibility in an RFP issued in April 2020. A second RFP will be issued in 2023. www.newbedfordguide. com/new-bedford-begins-outreach-community-explore-changes-whaling-city-golf-course/2022/10/12
Despite gains, our workforce development efforts are not keeping pace with competitors and the modern economy Modern infrastructure investments – especially in ports, water, sewer, and broadband – are still required for more growth
Opportunities
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Improved educational attainment can be advanced through strategic workforce development that is tailored to the “biotech” manufacturing, MST-based, and health care industries Comparatively lower housing costs and improved transit connections to Boston can lead to vibrant TOD/mixed-use development and can continue to attract younger, more educated residents Our region has numerous remaining development sites where we can leverage state and federal infrastructure funding to encourage growth
Threats
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Good, diverse infrastructure Competitive housing costs and new transit connections to Boston Strength in health care, manufacturing, value-added agriculture, and fishing Cities and large towns with growing and increasingly more diverse and educated populations
Weaknesses
Stakeholders: City of New Bedford; New Bedford Regional Airport
Proposed Use: Warehouse and Distribution, Manufacturing, Office, Health Care and Life Sciences, MST, other “cutting-edge” industries.
Perceptions of persistently high unemployment and low educational attainment
