During the Geneva announcement, Lowell officials detailed municipal initiatives they plan to link to the front‑runner program, with a focus on housing affordability, accessibility and community services.

City Chief Financial Officer Connor Baldwin described the Lowell Affordable Housing Trust, established to finance housing development and seeded with federal ARPA funds. "We seeded that trust with $3,300,000 in investment from the American Recovery, American Recovery Act, ARPA," Baldwin said. He and other city officials described the trust as a financing vehicle to support affordable projects as they develop financing packages with state and private partners.

Lowell also described an accessibility financing approach that combines a revolving fund and a dedicated allocation of capital funds. Baldwin said the city created a revolving fund for the disability commission (funded, in part, from parking fines revenue) and directs 5% of annual capital authorizations to accessibility improvements. Examples cited included accessible playgrounds, voting booths, building and sidewalk upgrades, and facility ramps.

Council members and administrative staff emphasized participatory budgeting and community engagement as part of the front‑runner strategy. Councilor Rita Mercier and others pointed to the city's long‑running festival and cultural programs and public‑private youth and workforce initiatives as foundational community assets to pair with new investment.

What was decided: The Geneva partnership statement commits Lowell and its partners to co‑design pilots that include affordable housing and accessibility measures. City staff said they will present project‑level proposals and budget requests in local public processes; the Geneva signing did not itself appropriate funds beyond earlier ARPA seed funding mentioned by the CFO.

Direct quote: "If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for life," Connor Baldwin said, characterizing the city's emphasis on workforce and education pathways linked to development.

Officials at the event cautioned that program outcomes depend on later approvals and external funding. Several speakers said the city will publish pilot designs and metrics and invite community input before project implementation.