A master plan for the former Brockton Fairgrounds property proposed by developer Copper Mill includes 1,500 housing units and 600,000 square feet of commercial space. Image courtesy of CBT Architects

Development interest in Massachusetts Gateway Cities – mid-sized urban centers around the state that have faced economic headwinds – has taken various forms since the state first began singling out the communities for financial assistance in 2007.

Industrial, life science, office and housing have been among the uses tied to proposals pitched for the industrial cities and former mill towns that include Brockton, Everett, Fall River, Lowell, Quincy and Worcester.

But in the current development climate, multifamily housing takes top billing in major projects in various stages of planning across Massachusetts, including in the Gateway City of Brockton.

Boston-based developer Copper Mill’s redevelopment proposal for the former Brockton Fairgrounds property includes 1,500 units of housing as well as 600,000 square feet of commercial space. And Boston-based Charter Development’s plan for Brockton’s Trout Brook Redevelopment District includes more than 1,000 units of housing on a 45-acre property. The city’s broader Trout Brook planning studies also call for mixed-use development to revive the downtown area.

“A lot of it orients around Greater Boston’s acute housing crisis, which is also a national problem,” Copper Mill CEO Andrew Flynn said. “Where are there opportunities to move the needle from a housing crisis standpoint? How can Gateway Cities [provide part of the solution to] the housing crisis?”

The soaring cost of housing is a conundrum that aspiring Massachusetts homeowners endure daily. But even the business community is taking note: A Massachusetts Business Roundtable survey released last year indicated 83 percent of the group’s employer membership base said the cost of living in the Bay State directly impacts their decision to grow or shrink here.

As Flynn noted, the stark reality of high housing costs and a shortage of new supply is a national problem just as much as it is a Massachusetts one. But fueling housing creation can be a new economic opportunity for Gateway Cities such as Brockton that are well-connected to Boston’s job cluster.

While it isn’t located just outside the Boston city limits like Everett, Brockton has direct MBTA commuter rail access to South Station, the region’s key rail hub.

“We’ve seen at a statewide level, the current administration is seemingly very supportive in really trying to catalyze more housing,” Flynn said. “We are mindful of the gravity of the Brockton Fairground site, and there is a kind of responsibility. We all know that we have to get it right, and we all believe there’s a lot of opportunity to unlock for all stakeholders.”

At a meeting Jan. 8, the Brockton City Council’s Ordinance Committee tabled a discussion of an overlay zoning district for the fairgrounds property that would allow construction of 1,500 housing units. Members instructed the development team to meet with city planning staff to discuss further details on the project’s effects on infrastructure.

Former Rail Yard Offers Large-Scale Opportunity

Charter Development Founder and President Robert Delhome, while not available for an interview for this story, noted via email he was “excited” for the Trout Brook project among the several others the firm was working on in Gateway Cities.

The developer previously pointed to market analysis pointing toward the significant housing vision for Trout Brook, which includes a former CSX rail yard.

“In terms of market demand, the Greater Boston housing crunch has only intensified in the last five years, so as a consequence of that, our plan calls for over 1,000 units of residential between apartments and townhouses, almost triple what was in the urban renewal plan,” Delhome told Banker & Tradesman last year, adding that home ownership units will be a priority.

This housing-first approach at both the fairgrounds and Trout Brook mimics what is shaping up elsewhere in the state at similar projects.

The Trout Brook site, a former CSX railyard next to downtown Brockton, as seen in 2019. The city hopes to see a mixed-use development rise in place of the former industrial site. Photo courtesy of the city of Brockton

‘Housing First’ a Growing Theme

The redevelopment of the 161-acre former Suffolk Downs horse track on the Revere-Boston line is meant to result in a mixed-use megadevelopment with quick MBTA Blue Line subway access to downtown Boston.

The 475-unit Amaya, the project’s first residential building, opened last summer, but the timing for next groundbreakings at the 16 million-square-foot Suffolk Downs development site remains uncertain.

Financial market conditions combined with a surplus of vacant commercial space closer to Boston can mean housing is the best proven concept for a Gateway City like Brockton.

“Right now, residential projects, while they certainly still face their own headwind, are much more viable compared to commercial projects,” Flynn said. “From a financing standpoint, even with elevated [interest] rates, I think folks acknowledge the asymmetric supply-demand for housing puts more of an immediate need there as opposed to going [speculative] on a tough tech building.”

But this doesn’t translate to housing-only development in Brockton, either. There are plenty of economic tailwinds driving developer interest in these parts of the state, especially those with strong connection points or modes of transit to Boston.

“Gateway Cities have a real opportunity to shine, and I think can really help catalyze how this region is defined for the next 50 years,” Flynn said.

Housing Takes Center Stage in Brockton Developments

by Cameron Sperance time to read: 3 min
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