Reading awarded $500,000 HousingWorks grant
Funds will support the Walkers Brook Drive Corridor Redesign Project
BOSTON – Reading officials’ plans to redesign the Walkers Brook Drive corridor received a major funding boost this week, as the town was awarded a $500,000 HousingWorks Infrastructure Program grant through the Fiscal Year 2027 round of the Commonwealth’s Community One Stop for Growth Program.
Offered through the state’s Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), the Community One Stop for Growth Program provides access to 14 economic development and housing grant programs through a single application process. Funding is available to support local initiatives such as planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction and infrastructure.
The HousingWorks Infrastructure Program is designed specifically for supporting horizontal infrastructure projects tied to housing production. According to EOED, Reading’s grant funding will “support the progression of the ongoing Walkers Brook Corridor Redesign Project currently at a 25% design and would help to achieve near construction ready design documents, transforming a busy four lane roadway into a multimodal corridor, improving connectivity and safety across the roadway and supporting future dense mixed-use development and housing anticipated within the immediate area.”
“This grant will help unlock the potential of the Walkers Brook corridor as a future economic engine for our community,” said Town Manager Jayne Wellman. “By investing in the infrastructure today, we are creating the foundation for new housing, new economic development, and a vibrant mixed-use district that can serve Reading for generations. We are grateful to the Commonwealth for continuing to invest alongside us in this important work.”
In 2024, Reading received a $500,000 MassWorks Infrastructure Grant through the Community One Stop for Growth Program for Walkers Brook Drive. The Reading legislative delegation hailed the awarding of this latest grant to advance the project.
“The Town of Reading has invested much time and effort into the Walkers Brook Drive project, with a focus on enhancing public safety and promoting local businesses and economic development,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “This latest funding will help to further advance the planned roadway safety improvements while facilitating future housing and mixed-use development.”
“I want to congratulate the Town of Reading for its efforts in securing this grant award,” said State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn). “This funding will help move the Walkers Brook corridor project forward, improving connectivity and safety that will better serve drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, while helping lay the groundwork for new housing and mixed-use development in the area. I’m grateful to the administration for backing a project that will benefit Reading for years to come.”
“I’m thrilled that Reading is receiving another competitive One Stop for Growth grant to continue work on the Walkers Brook Drive corridor project,” said State Senator Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester). “These improvements to Walkers Brook Drive will energize the neighborhood and make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.”
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