Business View City & Municipal | August 2022

129 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 Your Advocate  • Your Partner  • Your Resource  For over a century, the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce has been a trusted source of knowledge and support for area businesses. We provide resources, promotion, relationships, education and much more. We proudly partner with our members to promote the economic advancement of business in the greater Taunton area; thereby improving the overall quality of life in the community. Visit our website for more information www.tauntonareachamber.org 1 70 DEAN ST, TAUNTON , MA 02 780 508 - 824 - 4068 TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS urban redevelopment to promote investment in underutilized areas. The area has also been awarded a Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) from MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts development finance agency. The program is designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts of state ‘Gateway Cities,’ including Taunton. “The TDI will directly help us with economic development specifically in Whittenton,” emphasizes Roth. “There is great potential there including the 40-acre site that was formerly the Whittenton Mills Complex, a historic textile mill site. There is also the famous 120,000-square- foot Reed & Barton facility. It has been purchased, but the owners are maintaining the well-kept space and leasing it out for mixed-use opportunities. There are some great opportunities available in this area of our City.” Mayor O’Connell asserts that meeting face-to- face with developers and owners is essential, especially when working on historic buildings that hold a lot of meaning for the community. “It helps to share our ideas for housing, retail, and recreation with them. It allows us to work together to develop a harmonious vision for our City. We really want to make these neighborhoods into a destination for residents where they can visit, enjoy, and learn about their history.” Many of The Weir’s buildings contain even more of this history, but until recently have been mostly underutilized. Roth hopes it will be “like a domino effect” once some of these old factories and mills are redeveloped and new businesses move in. He cites the example of the Riverhouse restaurant, which opened in 2020. Popular throughout the region for its steak and seafood, it occupies a formerly derelict building overlooking beautiful Weir Riverwalk Park. Another exciting nearby project is the Weir Municipal Parking Lot, which when completed will provide a new bus shelter and the first direct