Special to the Independent
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) recently approved the award of over $10.6 million in Community Mitigation Fund grants to numerous municipalities and other eligible entities across Massachusetts including more than $2.3M for Everett Projects.
Since 2015, the MGC has awarded approximately $37.7 million in grants from the Community Mitigation Fund. The fund, established by thegaming law, helps host and surrounding communities and other qualified applicants to offset costs related to casino construction and operation. Grant awards support a range of community needs including education, transportation, infrastructure, housing, environmental issues, public safety, and emergency services.
“The more than $10 million in grants awarded through the 2022 Community Mitigation Fund is yet another example of the Commonwealth’s commitment to fully realize the benefits of its gaming industry as well as the Gaming Commission’s continued fulfillment of the mandate made by the Legislature to mitigate any unintended impacts tied to gaming in Massachusetts,” said MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein. The MGC is proud to support communities in the Commonwealth as they seek to improve government services and make advancements in road safety, tourism marketing, wellness and recovery services, public safety training and personnel, and job readiness programming. On behalf of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, I extend congratulations to all of our 2022 grant recipients and look forward to the numerous ways those awards will make innovative, tangible improvements to the Commonwealth and its communities.”
The Community Mitigation Fund review team conducted a comprehensive review of all applications to ensure compliance with the 2022 Guidelines and made recommendations to the Commission over the course of several public meetings throughout the spring of 2022. After deliberation on those recommendations, the Commission voted to award Everett the following grants:
Industrial District Design — Community Planning; $100,000
Funding for developing design guidelines for potential new development in the Everett DPA/Industrial District.
Mystic Riverwalk Boardwalk — Transportation Construction; $1,335,000
This funding is to complete a missing section of the Mystic Riverwalk between Mystic View Park and Route 16/Woods Memorial Bridge.
Everett (Fire) Communications Equipment — Specific Impact; $122,600
This funding will increase radio/communication reliability in and between responding members of the EFD and other responding municipalities.
Everett (Police) Public Safety — Specific Impact; $309,000
This will provide funding for Public Safety equipment, overtime reimbursement and communication interoperability.
Everett/Boston Lower Mystic Transportation Mgmt. Assoc. — Transportation Planning; $450,000
These funds will complete the formation of the Lower Mystic Transportation Management Association. These funds support the basic operational needs of the TMA during its first three years.