Real Estate Services

MassDevelopment’s Real Estate Services Technical Assistance program advances local economic development goals in cities and towns across Massachusetts. These projects enable municipalities to explore the development potential of key properties, address streetscape and infrastructure needs, and plan for growth. Through a combination of in-house expertise and contracts with consultants, MassDevelopment collaborates with municipal officials, planners, local stakeholders, and others to address site-specific and district-wide economic development challenges.

What makes a good project? 

Technical Assistance proposals must be tied to either the redevelopment of public surplus property or district redevelopment planning.

Public Surplus Property

Public surplus property projects help a community find a new use for a property that results in redevelopment and accomplishes one or more of the following goals: 

• Attract or retain jobs.
• Create housing.
• Assist historically disadvantaged communities.
• Advance smart growth.
• Planning and predevelopment to a point where the private sector invests in the project.

Project examples:

• Site Concept Plans and Market Feasibility Studies - Including feasibility and planning studies in addition to concept-level master planning.  
• Request for Proposals / Qualifications - Development of materials to support the municipality's disposition process and the analysis of proposals to support their decision. 

Future municipal use planning i.e., town offices, community centers, parks, is not an eligible use of funds. However, if the future use is still be determined then Real Estate Services can explore a wide range of reuse options through community engagement activities.

District Redevelopment Technical Assistance

Early-stage projects to spur economic development activities within a commercial, industrial, or mixed-use district that should accomplish one or more of the following goals:  

• Attract or retain jobs.
• Create housing.
• Assist historically disadvantaged communities.
• Advance smart growth.
• Planning and predevelopment to a point where the private sector invests in the project.

Project examples: 

• District Redevelopment Strategies
• Corridor Studies
• District Improvement Financing (DIF) 

To be competitive, a district should have public surplus property and/or underutilized properties within the area.   

How to Apply

Real Estate Services Technical Assistance is part of the Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal and collaborative review process of community development grant programs that makes targeted investments based on a Development Continuum. Municipalities, municipal agencies, and other public entities can apply for RES Technical Assistance funding through the One Stop portal. 

For those projects selected, MassDevelopment will be part of your team – providing our expertise and project management skills.

• Vetted Consultants – MassDevelopment has a pool of third-party consultants, publicly procured to secure qualified and experienced vendors, under contract and ready to move forward on your next project. Consultants are chosen based on relevant experience, consulting capacity, and diverse business enterprise participation. 
• Straight Forward Contracting – The contracting process with MassDevelopment is easy and straight forward. We will work with you and one of our qualified house doctor consultants to provide a scope of services for your project and include it in a standard Memorandum of Agreement. There is no need to go through an RFP process or draft your own contracts.
• Project Management Assistance – MassDevelopment will work with you every step of the way and can take on administrative responsibilities as necessary including contract administration and the processing and payment of project invoices.