Massachusetts

The City of Lowell, Massachusetts was established in the 1820s as a planned textile-manufacturing center, and today boasts a broadly diverse population. Lowell’s Hamilton Canal District is a 15-acre site centered at the confluence of four canals and adjacent to the Lowell National Historic Park, an authentic early industrial era place that is ready for new urbanist development to attract businesses, retiring boomers, and young millennials. Since 2009, it has benefitted from two EDA Public Works infrastructure grants to improve mobility and private sector construction opportunities within its locally branded Hamilton Canal District.

In July 2016, EDA invested $2.48 million in Public Works funds to the City of Lowell for road, bridge, and general infrastructure improvements. Upon completion of the infrastructure improvements, the District will be able to host the development of 232,000 square feet of commercial or research and development space to support medical device technology, computer systems, or other industries related to the University of Massachusetts iHub and M2D2 expansions. Ancillary benefits to the City include an estimated 21,800 square feet of supporting retail and restaurant space, along with the envisioned development of approximately 68 residential units to create a walkable residential/commercial neighborhood. This project will create 150 new jobs and generate $60 million in private investment.