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Mayor Kugan outlines housing and waterfront redevelopment, cites Route 79 project as transformative
Summary
Kugan described completed and planned redevelopment: Route 79/Deval Street corridor improvements freeing 19 acres, waterfront master planning that could attract more than $1 billion in private investment, Pleasant Street repaving funded at $1.6 million, and adaptive reuse projects including 46 new units at Sacred Heart Church.
In his State of Business address, Mayor Paul Kugan highlighted housing and waterfront redevelopment as central to Fall River’s growth strategy, naming completed infrastructure work, urban renewal planning and specific housing projects.
Kugan said the Route 79/Deval Street corridor improvement project is complete, producing ‘‘beautiful and functional new roads, 19 acres of developable land’’ and a master plan produced with the Fall River Redevelopment Authority and Stantech. He said large developers have expressed interest and the parcels could represent more than $1 billion in private investment along the waterfront.
Downtown revitalization efforts include a partnership called Nomar—restaurants, arts venues, shops and public outdoor event space—plus monthly events on Percher Street in 2026. For the Flint neighborhood, Kugan said urban renewal work is underway, with five storefronts completed, plans for seven more, and a formal review process for an urban renewal plan and neighborhood roadmap.
On housing production, the mayor reported issuing 96 residential building permits and 229 commercial permits in 2025. He said current projects will create roughly 99 new housing units, 39 of which will be designated affordable or single‑room occupancy, and pointed to adaptive reuse examples such as the Sacred Heart Church and rectory redevelopment that now offers 46 market‑rate units.
Kugan also recounted the city’s use of tax takings and resale to enforce redevelopment timelines: several former school properties sold for nominal sums were reclaimed and later resold at higher prices, generating $533,000 in net revenue. He framed this as holding developers accountable when redevelopment did not proceed.
Next steps: the mayor said waterfront and urban renewal plans are moving through formal review and that the city will continue to manage developer timelines and pursue public‑private investments.
