Bourne Officials: Major State Grant Aims to Jumpstart Main Street Buzzards Bay Redevelopment

Bourne Town Administrator Thomas Guerino and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at check presentation last week

BOURNE – The developer of a planned hotel says a grant awarded by the state will help to revitalize downtown Buzzards Bay.

Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced a $1.5 million MassWorks grant Thursday to the town of Bourne for the Buzzards Bay Wastewater Treatment Facility project.

The project will install a 100,000 gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant to expand existing capacity, which will help to bring in up to $60 million in private investments to the area, for projects including a 100-room Hampton Inn and Suites, a 120-unit senior living facility, housing and other retail space.

“By doubling the capacity you can work with private developers to build hotel rooms or have an assisted living facility, or to bring market rate housing to this downtown area,” said Polito.

Polito said the facility will help to bring more people to area.

“And more people working here and living here full-time will require them to shop, to visit restaurants, and to be part of the economy here on this Main Street stretch and in this region,” she said. “That is the definition of economic development.”

The developer of the planned Hampton Inn hotel on Perry Avenue, Ryan Correia, said the wastewater treatment upgrade is vital to the development of Main Street Buzzards Bay.

“We see this will bring new entrepreneurs, the promotion of new small business opportunities, creation of jobs and a welcoming and attractive walkable downtown for the community,” Correia said.

The Perry Avenue development would be canal front and include retail space and a restaurant.

“We are hoping the development will spark the revitalization of downtown Buzzards Bay,” Correia said.

He said these types of infrastructure improvements are crucial to accomplish town goals and future development.

In 2012, the Cape Cod Commission identified Buzzards Bay Village Center as a Growth Incentive Zone and the town has worked to attract new developments to the area.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter