COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS:

Ranking Member McGovern has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Massachusetts' Second District to the House Appropriations Committee. Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2025 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.


TRANSPARENCY:

All requests submitted by Ranking Member McGovern to the House Appropriations Committee are posted below. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Ranking Member McGovern has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.

PROJECTS REQUESTED:

 

Project Name: 128 Providence Street Housing Remediation Project

Amount of request: $3,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: City of Worcester, 455 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The City of Worcester will use these funds to separate utilities at 128 Providence Street in Worcester, MA and provide lead and asbestos remediation so that units of affordable, accessible housing for elderly adults can be developed. The site’s proximity to the Worcester Senior Center means that residents will have easy access to a variety of services such as congregate meals, exercise classes, lectures and other educational events, art classes, and health screenings. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Amherst College Astronomy Observatory Telescope

Amount of request: $1,064,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Amherst College, 220 South Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002

Purpose of the Requested Funding: Amherst College will use the funds to purchase a 28-inch reflecting telescope and corresponding scientific instrumentation. This acquisition will significantly expand the teaching and outreach capacity of the college, including service to students at the Five College Consortium of Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, along with hundreds of local K-12 students from surrounding school districts and visitors throughout Western Massachusetts. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Hockanum Flood Control Pumping Station Resiliency Project

Amount of request: $2,650,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: City of Northampton, 210 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The City of Northampton will use these funds to rehabilitate the Hockanum Flood Control Pumping Station, a structure originally constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1930s. The Flood Control Pumping Station plays a vital role in Northampton, safeguarding over 2,600 buildings and properties from the floodwaters of the Connecticut River. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Holliston Downtown Sewer District

Amount of request: $5,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Town of Holliston, 703 Washington Street, Holliston, MA 01746

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Holliston will use this funding to build wastewater infrastructure in its growing downtown, enabling economic growth through proper environmental management. Holliston currently lacks sufficient water infrastructure to meet current and projected growth in the region, and this project will build on local financing to allow the town to meet its wastewater needs while spurring economic development. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Leicester Water Supply District Interconnection

Amount of request: $950,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address:  Leicester Water Supply District, 124 Pine Street, PO Box 86, Leicester, MA 01524

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Leicester Water Supply District will use this funding to build a water interconnection with the City of Worcester, allowing Leicester to meet its drinking water infrastructure needs. By enabling the purchase of water from Worcester, the water district will be able to address recent challenges with local sources, including the inoperability of several wells and water treatment capacity limitations. Leicester is a small community of approximately 11,000 people, and the state has identified an interconnection with Worcester as a viable option to secure Leicester’s water infrastructure needs. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Princeton Public Safety Building in Princeton, MA

Amount of request: $2,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Town of Princeton, 6 Town Hall Drive, Princeton, MA 01541

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Princeton will use these funds for the construction of a new public safety building. This modern facility will support public safety personnel, including firefighters, police, and EMTs. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Route 20 Corridor Improvements Project in Shrewsbury

Amount of request: $4,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Town of Shrewsbury, 100 Maple Ave, Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Shrewsbury will use these funds to enable critical traffic safety and efficiency improvements to one the most heavily traveled highway corridors in Central Massachusetts. Proposed improvements include pavement rehabilitation and box widening, reconstruction of the existing signal at South Street, construction of a new signal at Walnut Street, and construction of a shared use path on both sides of Route 20. This project funding will enable the town to complete the design of the project, allowing Shrewsbury to move forward with funding already secured by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls, MA

Amount of request: $210,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Shea Theater Arts Center, Inc., 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376

Purpose of the Requested Funding:  The Shea Theater Arts Center will use these funds to renovate Franklin County’s only large, publicly owned performing arts venue. This includes interior and exterior building improvements that will help revitalize the heart of downtown Turners Falls. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Shutesbury Library in Shutesbury, MA

Amount of request: $250,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Town of Shutesbury, 1 Cooleyville Road, Shutesbury, MA 01072

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Shutesbury will use these funds to furnish a new town library and renovate the grounds. The new library will feature a spacious children’s room with interactive play areas, an adult reading room for quiet study, a teen room with comfortable seating, and a meeting room with a kitchenette for events and gatherings. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Stop It Now! Child Abuse Prevention Program 

Amount of request: $879,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address:  Stop It Now!, 351 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA 01060

Purpose of the Requested Funding: Stop it Now! will use the funds to increase its capacity to prevent child sexual abuse, specifically by increasing awareness, availability, and effectiveness of a helpline that provides families and individuals with support and access to resources through live consultations through phone, chat, text, and email. They will also offer training for youth-serving organizations and parents to empower adults to take protective actions, prevent harm from occurring, and respond to early warning signs of sexual abuse. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: The Green Fields Market in Greenfield, MA

Amount of request: $2,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Cooperative Development Institute, 144 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Cooperative Development Institute will use these funds to renovate the historic Wilson’s Department Store. This derelict building has been vacant since 2020 and occupies nearly an entire city block in downtown Greenfield. The Green Fields Market cooperative expansion will create a modern market that supports local farmers and will provide 65 affordable housing units in the upper levels of the building. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Town of Amherst Shelter and Supportive Housing

Amount of request: $5,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: City of Amherst, 4 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Amherst will use these funds to design and construct a 35-bed shelter for people experiencing homelessness, with 25-30 affordable, supportive housing units in the upper levels of the building. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Westhampton Public Safety Complex Emergency Operations Center

Amount of request: $360,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Town of Westhampton, 1 South Road, Westhampton, MA 01027

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The Town of Westhampton will use these funds to expand the Westhampton Public Safety Complex to create an emergency operations center, which would increase the capacity for public safety personnel conducting emergency operations in an area surrounded by thousands of acres of forests. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Continuous Flow Reactor

Amount of request: $1,500,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 

Purpose of the Requested Funding: Worcester Polytechnic Institute will use the funds to build a continuous flow reactor for destruction of PFAS in contaminated soils and the plants that grow in them. Contamination caused by PFAS has been linked to adverse health effects, including developmental issues, immune system suppression, and increased risk of certain cancers. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.

Project Name: Whitin Community Center in Whitinsville, MA

Amount of request: $4,000,000

Intended Recipient and Full Address: George Marston Whitin Memorial Community Association, Inc., 60 Main Street, Whitinsville, MA 01588

Purpose of the Requested Funding: The George Marston Whitin Memorial Community Association will use these funds to renovate a historic building to create an essential community facility with a childcare center, which will provide free afterschool programs in the village of Whitinsville, a rural community of less than 20,000 residents in South Central Worcester County. Click here for a signed letter certifying that stating Ranking Member McGovern has no financial interest in the project.