In this issue...

• MassCEO MetroWest Symposium on Employee Ownership July 30th
• Energy and Sustainable Development Committee Meeting August 19th
• 495 Connector Shuttle Service
• Marlborough Downtown Pop-Up Shops
• For Municipalities: Water Infrastructure Financing through WIFIA Program
• Recent 495/MetroWest Partnership Committee Meetings
• In Case You Missed It: 495/MetroWest Partnership Business Resource Guide

MassCEO MetroWest Symposium on

Employee Ownership July 30th

The Mass. Center for Employee Ownership will host its MetroWest regional symposium on Wednesday, July 30th at 9:00 AM at Framingham State University. Employee ownership offers succession planning opportunities for business owners alongside benefits such as increased worker engagement and productivity, improved employee recruiting and retention, democratic business governance, and wealth building. Attendees will learn about various employee ownership models, hear from employee-owned firms, explore available state and federal funding opportunities, and participate in roundtable discussions. Click here to register for the event.

Energy and Sustainable Development Committee Meeting August 19th

The Energy and Sustainable Development Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will host a joint meeting with Partnership’s Planning and Economic Development Working Group (PEDWG) on Tuesday, August 19th. Partnership staff will present and seek feedback on several projects our organization has been working on, including draft guidelines to help our communities develop Priority Preservation Areas, a listing of contemporary resources intended to refresh the Partnership’s 2008 Low Impact Development Toolkit, and a listing of climate mitigation strategies and informational resources for municipalities to access. Click here to register.

495 Connector Shuttle Service

The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority has launched their new 495 Connector service! Connecting eight 495/MetroWest communities along I-495 and Route 85 with all three commuter rail lines serving our region, this new pilot shuttle service gives commuters and residents at the heart of our service area transit options never previously available.

Running between the South Acton MBTA commuter rail station in the north and the Forge Park/ 495 MBTA commuter rail station in the south, the service includes scheduled stops in Hudson, Marlborough, Southborough (MBTA commuter rail station), Hopkinton, and Milford, with riders having the ability to request stops or flag down the shuttle at safe boarding locations. The service connects three commuter rail lines, five MWRTA fixed bus routes, two MWRTA catch connect zones, and eight 495/MetroWest communities. 

Learn more about the service and view the complete schedule at the MWRTA's website.

Marlborough Downtown Pop-Up Shops

For the third year running, the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is hosting their Downtown Pop-Up Program for local small businesses to test the market in a “storefront” set up uniquely by them. First implemented in 2023 via a grant secured with the 495/MetroWest Partnership, the program allows online retailers, makers and artists to sell their specialty products at brick and mortar locations, giving shoppers a chance to meet them and see their goods in person on a rotating basis. Two users of the program have since opened full-time storefronts on Main Street.

The Marlborough pop-ups are 8’x10’ sheds equipped with electricity, lighting, and the optional use of provided counters, shelving, and tables. The pop-ups are located at the corner of Court and Weed streets. Vendors can outfit the space to be compatible for your merchandise. Ample parking and unique neighboring businesses offer additional foot traffic. Space is limited. The pop-ups are open on Fridays from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Interested vendors should contact Linsey Jaworek via email.

For Municipalities: Water Infrastructure Financing

through WIFIA Program

During the 495/MetroWest Partnership's Water Resources Committee Meeting on July 10th, representatives from the Massachusetts Water Works Association highlighted the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program as a potential source of funding for municipal water infrastructure projects. Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It offers supplemental, flexible, low-cost support to both public and private borrowers for wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater projects, functioning as an EPA-operated bank that provides long-term loans which must be combined with other funding sources. 

The WIFIA program provides ongoing funding, allowing prospective borrowers to request financing on their schedule. Prospective borrowers can apply for and receive WIFIA loans at almost all stages of project completion, including financing for planning and design-only loans. Prospective borrowers first submit a letter of interest (LOI) showing project eligibility, financial creditworthiness, engineering feasibility, and alignment with WIFIA selection criteria. The EPA then selects projects for invitation to submit full applications for loan underwriting and agreement development. 

WIFIA can lend to public and private entities, including: 

• Local, state, and tribal government entities
• Corporations, partnerships, joint ventures, and trusts
• Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs 

Private entities must obtain public sponsorship from affected state, local, or tribal governments. WIFIA can make a project eligibility determination before LOI submittal, given a written request.

The WIFIA program can fund a variety of water infrastructure projects, including regulatory compliance, water quality or quantity issues, lead service line replacement, and aging infrastructure. The program supports both development and implementation for projects that consist of:

• Clean Water SRF–eligible efforts, including wastewater, stormwater management, and nonpoint source projects, regardless of ownership structure
• Projects that are eligible for the Drinking Water SRF, including source, treatment, storage, transmission and distribution, and partnership projects
• Projects which include energy efficiency enhancements for public water systems or treatment works
• Alternative water supply and recycling projects (including desalination and aquifer recharge)
• Drought prevention or mitigation projects
• Property acquisition integral to projects or for environmental mitigation

WIFIA has different cost thresholds and financing limits based on community size. Standard projects require a minimum of $20 million in eligible costs and can receive financing up to 49 percent of project costs. Small communities (serving 25,000 or fewer individuals) with projects eligible for the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs have a $5 million minimum and can access up to 80 percent financing. 

Eligible project costs include:

• Development-phase activities (planning, feasibility analysis, environmental review, permitting, preliminary engineering and design)
• Construction and rehabilitation activities
• Property acquisition (including water rights and environmental mitigation)
• Financing-related costs (capitalized interest, debt service reserve funds, interest during construction, capital issuance expenses)
• Indirect costs related to project development and management

Click here to access more information about the WIFIA program.

Recent 495/MetroWest Partnership Committee Meetings

Water Resources Committee Meeting July 10th: The Water Resources Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership met virtually on Thursday, July 10th. The meeting featured a presentation from the Mass. Water Works Association and the Mass. Coalition for Water Resources Stewardship regarding the state of water infrastructure funding in Massachusetts, and a discussion of advocacy strategies to secure necessary investment to improve water infrastructure in the 495/MetroWest region. Click here to access the slide deck from the July 10th Water Resources Committee meeting. 

Transportation Committee Meeting June 18th Featuring I-90 Allston Multimodal Update: The Transportation Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership met virtually on Wednesday, June 18th. Participants heard a presentation from MassDOT regarding the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. This project will replace the Allston Viaduct of the Massachusetts Turnpike and reduce the footprint of the existing Allston Interchange toll plaza; construction will impact both roadway traffic and rail service between Boston and points west. The meeting featured an overview presentation by project leadership, as well as a discussion of 495/MetroWest regional priorities relating to the project. To access the slide deck from the presentation, click here.

Housing Committee Meeting with Congressman Auchincloss June 17th: The Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership hosted an in-person meeting on Tuesday, June 17th in Medfield, featuring U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss. The meeting included a roundtable conversation with Congressman Auchincloss focused on repurposing closed or underutilized federal, state, and municipal properties for housing. The roundtable was followed by a brief walking tour of the Medfield State Hospital campus, which is slated to be redeveloped into a mixed-use campus which will include multifamily housing. To learn more about the Medfield State Hospital redevelopment project, click here.

In Case You Missed It: 495/MetroWest Partnership

Business Resource Guide

For business owners searching for assistance, funding, information, or other resources, the world of business support programs can be overwhelming. A vast array of programs by both government and the nonprofit sector are available, albeit with different organizing entities, eligibility requirements, timelines, and processes.

The 495/MetroWest Partnership has created a Business Resource Guide, an extensive list of resources available to you and your business. Resources include financial assistance programing through grants, loans, and tax credits; assistance for businesses pursuing government contracting opportunities; hiring and workplace education programs; and technical assistance. This guide contains resources for both prospective and active businessowners, as well as resources expressly for Minority-owned, Women-owned, Disabled-owned, Veteran-owned, LGBTQIA+-owned businesses.

Click Here to Access the Business Resource Guide.

This guide is tailored for businesses and business owners in the 495/MetroWest region of Massachusetts, but features both federal and state level resources.

The 495/MetroWest Partnership intends for this guide to be a living document, regularly refreshed and updated to add new programs or remove those which have ended. The document is maintained online as opposed to being in a fixed or printed form. Suggestions of new programs to include or concerns regarding any listed program are welcomed and encouraged; contact Executive Director Jason Palitsch at Jason@495Partnership.org with your comments.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if the 495/MetroWest Partnership can be of any assistance to you:

Jason Palitsch, Executive Director

(774) 760-0495

Jason@495Partnership.org

Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening our region.