Taunton, Massachusetts

7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 current fast charging (DCFC) electric vehicle (EV) station in Taunton. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which supports community development, provided funding for these highly sought-after chargers that recharge a battery in approximately 30 minutes. Across town, near the suburban neighborhood of East Taunton, sits the former site of the Silver City Galleria Mall. The once bustling 1,000,000 square-foot retail space closed in 2019 and was demolished two years later. The now vacant property is ready for economic redevelopment. Thankfully, there have been many companies considering Taunton for their new center of operations. “It’s like there is a billboard over the City proclaiming, ‘Open for business’,” says Ed Correira, Chief of Staff. “Every week, we receive multiple calls from interested businesses wanting to develop properties in Taunton. It’s exciting.” One such company is FedEx Corporation, which recently finalized a deal to build a 600,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution facility on a portion of the former Silver City Galleria site. Located just off Route 140, it is the perfect place for the new facility because of its proximity to the greater New England area. The site plan has been approved and includes another building of flex space for additional tenants. Redevelopment of underutilized spaces and buildings has also been a resourceful way to create additional housing. For instance, the non- profit Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc. (NOAH) is developing the downtown Taunton Union Block Project. Approximately 38-mixed income apartments ranging from one- to three- bedroom units will be built on the vacant second and third floors of three conjoined brick buildings. “Affordable housing projects usually have half a dozen different federal, state, and local funding sources,” clarifies Roth. “We have almost everything secured and hopefully renovations will begin this fall. The buildings