FY2014 - FY2018 Capital Investment Plan
Report - Capital Investments in Gateway Cities

The FY14-18 Capital Investment Plan carries out the Patrick Administration’s commitment to create growth and opportunity for the Commonwealth’s citizens and businesses today and into the future.  Strategic investments in education, innovation and infrastructure drive economic growth and position Massachusetts to succeed in the 21st century.  Creating a competitive business environment is dependent on investing in the roads, rails and other public infrastructure that serve businesses, their employees and their clients.  Constructing state-of-the-art facilities on the Commonwealth’s public college and university campuses invests in our most important resource and reinforces our position as a hub of education and the knowledge economy.  Targeted capital investments have enabled the Commonwealth to emerge from the recession faster than most states and will continue to allow the Commonwealth to grow at a faster pace than the national growth rate.

Investment in our Gateway Cities is critical to the Commonwealth’s overall economic growth.  These cities are defined as municipalities with populations between 35,000 and 250,000, median household incomes below the state average, and rates of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree or above that are below the state average.  Launched in 2008 with a total of 11 communities, there are now 26 municipalities across Massachusetts that meet this definition.  These cities often have storied histories as regional industrial and manufacturing centers; however, more recently they have endured economic hardships. 

Map of Massachusetts showing the locations of the original cities and the additional cities.

Original Gateway Cities
Brockton Fall River Fitchburg Haverhill Holyoke
Lawrence Lowell New Bedford Pittsfield Springfield
Worcester        

 

Additional Gateway Cities
Attleboro Barnstable Chelsea Chicopee Everett
Leominster Lynn Malden Methuen Peabody
Quincy Revere Salem Taunton Westfield

 

Capital investments in the Gateway Cities have come in a variety of forms, including: municipal grant awards to modernize public infrastructure and attract new businesses and industries; expansion of community college campuses in downtown, high-accessibility areas; and the redevelopment of parks and shared spaces in environmental justice neighborhoods.  For residents of environmental justice neighborhoods, or neighborhoods where lower-income and minority populations are faced with a disproportionately high share of environmental burdens, these parks and shared spaces are often the first step towards social and economic equality. 

Accomplishments to Date

FY14 Highlights