State Plan Would Support Infrastructure in Burlington
Allocations from the Mass Leads Act will support infrastructure in Burlington with roadway improvements, a look into mixed-use development.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives last Thursday passed the $3.4 billion "Act Relative to Strengthening Massachusetts' Economic Leadership," and the financial authorizations contained within would support infrastructure in Burlington.
Also known as the Mass Leads Act, Governor Healey proposed this bill to the legislature earlier this year, with the goal of "advanc[ing] the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s core principles of competitiveness, affordability, and equity across all regions and communities in Massachusetts." The bill contains significant allotments for infrastructure and business sector improvements.
Specific Burlington connections include a $250,000 allocation to "improve economic development programs in the Middlesex 3 region along U.S. Route 3 from Burlington to the New Hampshire border" and $500,000 to study the 3A/Cambridge Street roadway (which is currently undergoing a repaving project that is 7% complete) and "unlock new housing and mixed-use development in the Burlington Town Center."
The plan also would provide $5,000,000 to advance a life sciences apprenticeship program facilitated by Northeastern University's Burlington campus.
The idea for this Act is to give businesses a better chance of success and make Massachusetts an attractive location to build strong careers. According to a Facebook post by Representative Ken Gordon, the dollar amounts outlined in the bill represent legislative authorizations, and he plans to work with the towns he represents to lobby the state to release the funding to each municipality. We'll keep tabs on this bill as it develops and keep you updated with how it will affect infrastructure in Burlington.
