Freetown Riverfront Executive Park

Freetown | 170 South Main St

In 2020, the site was developed as a vehicle auction facility. This current use – large paved parking areas – has disturbed the site but does not represent full development potential.

Primary Owner(s): COPART of Connecticut, Inc.

Stakeholders: Town of Freeport

Total Available Acres: Approximately 400

Development Type: Infill/Expansion, Redevelopment

Proposed Use: The original development proposal for the site envisioned nearly 2.75 million s.f. of industrial/office park, retail, service, hotel/hospitality, and mixed-use residential uses.

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: None

Strengths

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Perceptions of persistently high unemployment and low educational attainment