Priority Projects and Partnerships Somerset-Swansea Route 6/Route 118 Planning and Wastewater Projects This corridor offers redevelopment opportunities on several large vacant and underutilized sites; these opportunities can build on recent U.S. EDA-funded investments in Somerset’s wastewater treatment facility and transmission infrastructure, the creation of a Wastewater District and Water Resource Management Plan, and a resulting SomersetSwansea intermunicipal agreement (IMA) for future wastewater service.35
Strengths
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Strength in health care, manufacturing, value-added agriculture, and fishing
Weaknesses
Stakeholders: Towns of Somerset and Swansea; • Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the Swansea Redevelopment Authority; numerous private entities.
Modern infrastructure investments – especially in ports, water, sewer, and broadband – are still required for more growth
Proposed Activities: The Town of Swansea recently Opportunities received a $75,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Economic Development to study economic development feasibility along the Route 6/Route 118 corridor. Swansea intends to work • Our region has numerous remaining development sites where we can leverage state and federal infrastructure directly with SRPEDD to secure additional matching funding to encourage growth funding that will enable a comprehensive needs assessment, build-out analysis, and implementation Threats plan for several sites – all with the intent of identifying private investment opportunities and partnerships necessary for future applications to U.S. EDA construction funding to extend wastewater • Perceptions of persistently high unemployment and low educational attainment infrastructure west from Somerset along Route 6.
35 www.eda.gov/archives/2022/grants/2017
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