State and city outline joint development plan for Route 79 waterfront; MassDOT, RDA favor single development team

Summary

MassDOT and local redevelopment officials described a joint‑development approach for 22 acres along Route 79, proposing requests for information and proposals to attract a single master developer for mixed‑use waterfront redevelopment that could include about 1,480 residences and roughly $1 billion in private investment over a decade.

Fall River City Council members received a detailed briefing from state and local officials about plans for the Route 79/Wall Street corridor waterfront redevelopment and how the state intends to manage disposition of federally and state‑assisted parcels.

Representatives from the city’s redevelopment authority, the Bristol County Economic Development Council, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) told the council that the state and city will pursue a joint development process aimed at attracting a single experienced development team or consortium to coordinate a multi‑parcel buildout along the waterfront.

Kenneth Faiola Jr., executive vice president of the Bristol County EDC, summarized the master plan prepared by the Fall River Redevelopment Authority. The master plan envisions about 2,000,000 gross square feet of new development: roughly 1,480 residential units, 61,000 square feet of commercial space and about 2,220 parking spaces, spread across 22 acres. The project area is zoned WTOD (waterfront) with building heights typically at six stories (approximately 80 feet) and parking ratios that vary by building size.

Scott Bosworth, MassDOT’s project manager attending with…

State and city outline joint development plan for Route 79 waterfront; MassDOT, RDA favor single development team

Summary

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