New Bedford is traditionally known as the world’s most famous whaling-era seaport, as well as the number one commercial fishing port in America. While New Bedford’s history is rich both on land and at sea, it is the city’s development future that excites leaders in government, businesses and education.
New Bedford boasts a talented and dedicated workforce, major development sites and a prime location along Buzzards Bay that is being rediscovered by emerging companies, investors and savvy developers.
Surrounded by small towns such as Dartmouth, Marion, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Rochester, New Bedford draws on a population of 193,000 within a 15-minute drive, with annual spending power of $3.3 billion.
The national economic climate over the past several years has hit cities very hard, but New Bedford has bucked this trend. In 2010 and 2011, New Bedford led in new growth among the 11 Gateway Cities in the commonwealth – creating nearly 2,000 permanent and construction jobs, and capturing more than $340 million in private investment over five years. These results do not just happen. The city’s lead economic development agency, the New Bedford Economic Development Council, crafted and has executed a balanced strategy to support existing business, attract emerging industries and capture long-term catalytic opportunities for growth.
One major target of this strategy is redevelopment of the city’s Upper Harbor District. The Upper Harbor area of New Bedford represents one of the most intact collections of historic mill buildings and natural beauty in New England. This area of the city has long been defined by the tightly woven neighborhoods of triple-deckers that housed the largely immigrant families who made New Bedford home at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Historic mill structures along the Acushnet River that once served as a barrier separating the river from the community are now reversing this historic trend, providing employment and connecting residents to the water in a way not experienced for 100 years.
River Vision Sets Sail
This transformation began in 2008 with an extensive community driven planning process that resulted in a vision for the Upper Harbor that included restoration of the mills, creation of a walkway along the river’s edge, and establishment of a crew course and community boat house.
Two Upper Harbor mill structures have recently been transformed into new residential developments through award-winning historic preservation efforts and are fully occupied. Two additional mill structures, known as Cliftex north and Cliftex south, will be adapted into market-rate housing and an assisted living facility respectively. Ground was broken on both Cliftex mill redevelopment projects in October 2011. The combined value of the all four adaptive reuse projects is nearly $100 million.
By taking full advantage of direct highway access and sound district planning, the NBEDC has also recruited new retail opportunities – such as Market Basket – back-office technology and niche manufacturing companies that are expanding in this district, creating hundreds of new jobs for residents.
Adding to the opportunities that remain in the Upper Harbor District is the historic downtown, with new businesses opening or expanding with amazing regularity (50 since 2007); plans to construct a new maritime commerce terminal in 2013 to support off-shore wind development; and a thriving business park that is host to emerging-sector growth such as medical device manufacturing.
Matthew A. Morrissey is executive director of the New Bedford Economic Development Council.
