Department Details
Records Access Officer
Isaiah Thelwell
Rhode Germain
Administrative Assistants to the Planning Board and Conservation Commission
Conservation Agent
Kyle Holden
Transforming Downtown Brockton
Downtown Brockton is the heart and soul of our city and of the Metro South region. And to keep it healthy and growing the City continues to create and direct resources downtown. These resources include the following:
Downtown and Trout Brook Zoning Study
The City needs to correct shortcomings in its zoning ordinances and update the regulations to reflect current land use and development trends if we are going to sustain the unprecedented growth we have seen over the last few years.
The Department of Planning & Economic Development is undertaking a study to modernize and contextualize its zoning code. Originally adopted in 1965 and infrequently amended, the zoning ordinances do not reflect the shared vision of downtown expressed in the 2017 Downtown Action Strategy.
All too often property owners are required to seek zoning relief for the various projects the community wants them to build. These time-consuming actions and legal appeals add too much risk and uncertainty to a deal epically in a time when financial markets are in turmoil
Modernizing Brockton’s zoning will grant residents a clearer understanding of building requirements and allow for a more complete view of how a proposed building would fit into and interact with its neighborhood.
The Department of Planning & Economic Development will begin convening a Steering Committee in November 2022 to help guide this modernization process and ensure resident input is incorporated into the proposed ordinances. The Committee’s work will be posted at this site.
Downtown Urban Revitalization Plan Amendment
The Brockton Redevelopment Authority and the City of Brockton City Council have approved a second amendment to its 2016 Downtown Urban Revitalization Plan.
Downtown Urban Revitalization Plan Amendment 2
The amendment will accomplish the following:
- Update the Smart Growth Zoning Overlay District to reflect its current boundaries;
- Add new properties to the acquisition and disposition list;
- Add new and amend existing properties on the rehabilitation and new construction list;
- Proposes new redevelopment projects;
- Add new projects to the infrastructure and public amenities list; and
- Revise overall budget to reflect the above changes and to comply with Commonwealth and accounting standards.
To date, the Brockton Redevelopment Authority and its Citizen Advisory Committee have had three public meeting to discuss the progress that has been made since 2016 and why an amendment is needed.
MassINC Report: Social Infrastructure in Downtown Brockton
Social infrastructure are all those common everyday places where people meet to create and reestablish the bonds that hold a city together. It's the plaza, coffee shop, sidewalk, barbershop, libraries and park where we meet and interact with other people. They create street life and vibrancy, and without them, a city becomes sterile and uninviting.
MassINC has prepared a report that looks at the Social Infrastructure of five Gateway Cities, including Brockton, to understand how it adds life to their downtowns. The report also includes recommendations for improving social interactions among our residents. They are:
1. Parking: Centralizes downtown parking in structured parking facilities that also makes electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure accessible to downtown residents. Improve wayfinding that encourages visitors to park and walk.
2. Infill Development : Continue to convert surface parking into mixed use developments that activate the streetscape and grow foot traffic with additional residents and workers. Lay the groundwork for a large-scale TOD project along Commercial Street adjacent to the commuter rail station.
3. Place Governance : Consider forming a Business Improvement District (BID) centered on Legion Parkway and North Main Street with the participation of the Downtown Business Association and Black Owned Brockton, among others.
4. Biking : Improve street safety by extending bicycle infrastructure throughout the downtown. Explore how micromobility options like shared bikes or scooters can connect residents effectively to bus and rail hubs.
5. Walking: Develop clusters of activities, activate streetscapes where there are gaps between active uses, and improve pedestrian safety and aesthetics.
6. Civic Spaces: Focus on cultivating a small number of civic spaces to function as the beating heart of the downtown, providing a front porch for businesses along with places to rest and people watch as pedestrians circulate through the downtown.
Follow this link to view MassINC's March 9, 2023 presentation to the four local business associations.
https://youtu.be/2T-dtpR0wiQ
Local Rapid Recovery Plan
The Local Rapid Recovery Planning (LRRP) program is a key part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Partnerships for Recovery Plan, the strategy established to help communities stabilize and grow the Massachusetts economy as a result of the economic impacts brought on by COVID-19.
The LRRP Program is intended to provide every municipality in Massachusetts the opportunity to develop actionable, project-based recovery plans tailored to the unique economic challenges and COVID-19 related impacts to downtowns, town centers, and commercial areas across the commonwealth.
The City of Brockton chose to focus their LRRP efforts on the heart of their downtown, which is home to WB Mason’s world headquarters and an MBTA commuter rail station that provides access to downtown Boston in under 35 minutes. Downtown Brockton is currently in a state of physical transformation and has long been the focus of intensive efforts by city leaders to stimulate private investment through redevelopment efforts. Despite the recent influx of state, federal, and private investment in real estate projects, focused efforts are still needed to address persistent challenges for the downtown that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The thirteen (13) priority project recommendations included in this Plan emerged from the diagnostic phase of the LRRP process, which identified the physical environment – in both the public and private realms – and the administrative capacity of the City and other downtown stakeholders as key challenges and opportunities for downtown Brockton.
| Recommendation | Project Category |
| Expand City Hall Plaza | Public Realm |
| Pilot the Downtown Ambassadors Program | Public Realm |
| Implement Safety, Accessibility & Multimodal Complete Streets Improvements | Public Realm |
| Further Conceptual Wayfinding Plan and Signage Program | Public Realm |
| Enforce and Incentivize Maintenance of Vacant and Neglected Commercial Buildings | Private Realm |
| Assist Businesses with Establishing an Online Presence | Revenue/Sales |
| Develop and Implement Program Management Plan for Sycamore Grove | Administrative Capacity |
| Increase City Planning Staff Capacity to Perform Planning and Economic Development Functions | Administrative Capacity |
| Foster an Equitable Small Business Technical Assistance Network | Administrative Capacity |
| Establish a District Management Entity | Administrative Capacity |
| Engage Property Owners and Attract Diverse Businesses Downtown to Promote Active Ground Floor Uses | Tenant Mix |
| Create a Publicly Accessible Art Plan and Policy | Cultural/Arts |
| Conduct a Performing Arts and Cultural Facility Feasibility Study | Cultural/Arts |
The full Brockton Local Rapid Recover (LRRP) Report can be found at this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AMfJy3sURcQe-7Belcmy2xk-cXZiakA1/view?usp=sharing
The LRRP Financial Assistance Summery can be found at this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Mv7OMRb52SCDWE6NiSlPEkqBLwl1Wi6/view?usp=sharing
January 2023 Progress Report can be found at this link.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12qAAbC8Yqvxl5RDtWYUucLsRmZCUMnGO/view?usp=share_link
Sycamore Grove
Sycamore Gove is the planned repurposing of a former bus terminal in downtown Brockton into a vibrant public space for live music and outdoor dining. The project grew out of our 2016 Downtown Action Strategy which identified the need for public space and additional amenities to make downtown an attractive location for residents and businesses alike.
The 1.1 acres site, currently maintained by the Brockton Parking Authority, was a missed opportunity. A parking lot that functions more like an alley than anything else. We plan to do better. Let’s create an open, welcoming space where we can host music festivals, pop up markets, and other community events.
Plans call for removing 90% of the surface parking and expanding the former bus passenger plaza with more programmable space. A semi-permanent stage will sit at the southernmost edge of the linear space. Central to the new Grove will be permanent kiosks for pop up venders and sanitation services. The City is also working with the adjacent property owners to allow existing and future restaurants to open outdoor dining space.
The Grove will also provide an important green link that connects City Hall Plaza to the Brockton Public Library and is part of a downtown wide green pedestrian network.
Sycamore Grove, a new oasis of green in a rapidly redeveloping downtown.
Downtown Action Strategy
Downtown Urban Renewal Plan
This Downtown Brockton Urban Renewal Plan, referred to in this document as an Urban Revitalization Plan, was prepared pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 121B and 760 CMR 12.00. It is submitted on behalf of the Brockton Redevelopment Authority (the “BRA”) with their unanimous approval on January 6, 2016 to the Brockton City Council and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (“DHCD”) for approval and action.
Plan implementation is proposed to proceed in three phases, over the course of approximately twenty years, with additional public actions identified for which the timing is not specifically programmed.
The City of Brockton, acting by and through the Brockton Redevelopment Authority, in accordance with the powers granted by Chapter 121B of the Massachusetts General Laws, as amended, and in recognition of the need to remove certain decadent conditions in the downtown section of the city, has caused this Urban Renewal Plan (URP) to be created for the 65.8 acre Urban Revitalization District.
The Brockton Downtown Urban Revitalization Plan proposes to build a strong, diverse, attractive downtown that can establish itself as a major economic force in the city and the metro south region. Redevelopment proposed pursuant to this URP will remove the decadent conditions that exist, and revitalize and stabilize the Urban Revitalization Area through a combination of strategic public action and incentives for private enterprise.
This Urban Revitalization Plan serves in part as an implementation mechanism for the strategies identified in the recently completed Brockton Downtown Action Strategy (“Action Strategy”), which identifies ways in which Brockton can attract new businesses and residents that contribute to the financial viability of the City, increase the vibrancy of downtown, and attract a broader socio-economic mix of residents and businesses.
The City of Brockton created the Downtown Brockton DIF Invested Revenue District (District) on July 20, 2015 as part of a public-private collaborative process to promote redevelopment in downtown Brockton. DIF enables the City to allocate a defined percentage of revenue accruing from the improvement of properties in the DIF district to fund eligible projects in the DIF District.
This DIF Program implements Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 40Q District Improvement Financing in Downtown Brockton. This Program outlines the processes by which the City of Brockton will estimate DIF Tax Increment for the purposes of budgeting; certify the change in Assessed Value within the District from year to year; establish accounting procedures in order to segregate DIF revenues and allocate them in accordance with this Program and approved annual budgeting; and the manner by which the City Council shall establish a DIF capture percentage within the DIF annual budgeting process.
Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP)
The Downtown Brockton Housing Development Zone and Plan, approved by the Commonwealth in December, 2014, incentivize the creation of Market Rate housing by providing tax credits to qualified projects. The credits can be used for both new construction and for the restoration and redevelopment of existing buildings. To be qualified projects must contain first floor retail or commercial uses and 80% of the units created must be Market Rate.
The greening of Downtown Brockton
George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis explored the role that quality park amenities play in 21st century regional economic development. There findings include the following:
- Investments in improving a community’s quality of life create a virtuous cycle: high quality-of-life locations attract workers, which attract employers, which in turn attract even more investments and jobs.
- High-quality parks and recreation can play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining quality businesses.
- Active engagement with companies and workers influence business expansion decisions and attract new residents to a community.
Therefore, as one of several economic development strategies, the City of Brockton is actively planning and improving the parks, plazas and open spaces in and around downtown to both improve the quality of life for our current residents and workers and attract new economic investment to our community.
GREEN LINKS: An Urban Green Space Plan For Downtown Brockton, authorized by Sunnie Joh, Amanda Pebler, and Emmy Titcombe of the Conway School in Northampton, Mass., provides three alternative strategies for improvements and with community feedback, maps a park and open space plan for downtown.
The Brockton Two Rivers Master Plan from 2008 which looks at the city-wide Salisbury Brook, Trout Brook and Salisbury River system is also an important guiding document for green space improvements in downtown Brockton.
Downtown Transportation Plan
For several decades, the City of Brockton has been seeking to reintroduce two-way traffic circulation in Downtown, but this was easier said than done With the increase in private investment in the district and the promise of more to come, the City undertook a major planning effort to get this project back on track. Guided by residents and business owners; transportation and community advocates; and elected leaders, the City developed this new Downtown Transportation Plan with the Complete Streets philosophy at its core. That is, streets are a public asset, and should be usable by walkers, bike riders, transit uses and automobiles. This public asset is also a public space that connects residents, employees and visitors to a variety of uses including homes, jobs, stores, parks and transit.
The study area consists of approximately 0.12 square miles, located in downtown Brockton, roughly contained by Spring Street and Court Street to the north, Warren Avenue to the west, Belmont Street and Crescent Street to the south, and Commercial Street to the east. Many of the streets in the Downtown area currently serve one-way traffic, most notably the north/south pair of Main Street and Warren Avenue. Several east/west streets currently serve one-way operations as well.
The plan proposes to convert Main Street, Warren Avenue and Belmont Street to two way traffic. Some 20 traffic signals will be replaced or upgraded with new equipment and nearly five (5) linear miles of roadway will be rebuilt with improved water, sewer, fiber optic utilities and streetscape.
The sidewalks on Main Street will be widened for more pedestrian room and new protected bike lanes will allow rides in both directions. On-street parking will be moved to convenient locations on side streets and additional off street parking is accommodated in a proposed garage on Frederick Douglass Avenue. Legion Parkway also gets a makeover with bike lanes, midblock crosswalks and streetscaping. Another improvement will be the realignment of Lincoln Street where it intersects School Street near City Hall. The new alignment will “T” up Lincoln with School and provide a new stop sign on Lincoln to improve safety
This work is proposed to be completed at least three phases and would probably start off with underground utility work first. This work will need to be coordinated with our telecommunications, gas and electric providers, who may be making their own investments prior to the roadwork.
The City is looking for grant funding to prepare the design and engineering. Once complete we hope to secure federal and state funding for the three construction phases.
Downtown Brockton Traffic Study Appendices A-E RM Downtown Brockton Traffic Study Report Final 051520
Over the spring and summer of 2020 the City has been exploring an expansion of the project limits in addition to evaluating the condition of the existing downtown sewer and water system. The current project area extends further south toward the Saulsbury Brook and includes several side streets that were not considered in the original 2020 Study.
To further advance this project the Planning Department and Department of Public Works interviewed several professional engineering and design firms to assist in this work. In August, 2020, the City designated Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) as its choice to lead the overall project. The City, with VHB’s assistance is currently working to refine the initial cost estimate provided by BSC, the authors of the 2020 Study, and to secure funding to bring the work to what is called 25% design. For a 25% design submission, MassDOT requires two major components, the Functional Design Report and Preliminary Design Plans.
Feasibility Findings
