State Funding Will Restore Trout Brook, Mitigate Local Flooding, and Help Unlock $700 Million in Private Investment for Downtown Mixed-Use Project
Brockton, Massachusetts – October 13, 2026 – Press Release – (InfoHaiti.net) – The City of Brockton has been awarded a $5,000,000 MassWorks Program grant by the Healey-Driscoll Administration to fund critical stormwater and environmental infrastructure for the Brockton Yards project. This major infrastructure milestone addresses decades-long flooding and environmental challenges, clearing the path for the transformation of a 45-acre industrial site adjacent to the Brockton commuter rail station into a vibrant, transit-oriented downtown community.
The grant will fund essential infrastructure improvements centered on Trout Brook, which has been confined to an undersized culvert running through the site for over a century. During severe weather, this bottleneck causes extensive flooding on-site and in adjacent environmental justice (EJ) neighborhoods.
Key scope items funded by the grant and project partnership include:
-
Daylight, widen, and naturalize approximately 1,500 linear feet of Trout Brook, replacing the aging culvert with a 400-foot-wide natural stream corridor and native plantings designed to contain floodwaters within its banks.
-
Excavate and safely dispose of impacted soils from legacy industrial uses, create new floodplain areas, install habitat pools, and introduce thousands of native trees, shrubs, and seed mixes.
-
Construct an ADA-accessible walking path and passive recreational areas, integrating new green space with surrounding underserved neighborhoods.
-
Complete $400,000 in required subdivision and Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) approvals to prepare the site for full-scale development.
At full buildout, Brockton Yards will represent approximately $700 million in private investment. The master plan features:
-
Up to 1,400 units of mixed-income housing within the city’s designated MBTA Communities Act zoning district.
-
Up to 100,000 square feet of commercial space.
-
11 acres of public open space connected directly to rapid public transit and downtown amenities.
-
An estimated 1,600 construction jobs, 150 permanent jobs, and $3.6 million in new estimated annual local tax revenue.
Mayor Moises Rodrigues says, “This $5 million investment is a critical step toward unlocking the full potential of Brockton Yards and creating new opportunities for our residents. We’re proud to move this transformative project forward.”
“Brockton Yards represents the transformative power of public and private investment working together,” said Dr. Eliza Wilson, Director of Economic Development. “This is economic development in action—using public resources strategically to prepare land, reduce risk, and attract private investment. We are grateful to the Commonwealth for partnering with Brockton to advance this project and its lasting environmental and economic benefits. Brockton Yards sends a clear message: Brockton is open for business, ready for investment, and ready to grow.”
“Brockton Yards is the most transformational mixed-use redevelopment in any Gateway City downtown,” added Interim Director of Planning and Community Development Elijah Romulus. “By resolving century-old stormwater infrastructure bottlenecks and restoring Trout Brook, we are laying the foundation for hundreds of millions in new investment, much-needed transit-oriented housing through our proposed Form-Based Code ordinance, and accessible open space for our residents.”
“Charter Development would like to thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration for this significant MassWorks award, which will allow us to break ground on the Trout Brook Ecological Restoration Project next year,” said Charter Founder and CEO, Bob Delhomme. “The project will restore a long-neglected waterway, reduce flooding, and unlock the mixed-use redevelopment of the 45-acre former CSX freight yard and surrounding area, including approximately 1,400 much-needed new homes. We are also grateful to our partners in the State Delegation and at Brockton City Hall for their continued support and commitment to this transformative project.”
The project is led by the City of Brockton’s Department of Planning and Economic Development under Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues, in partnership with designated master developer Charter Development. Charter brings deep expertise in complex brownfield remediation, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships, with Director of Development Edmund Starzec and PE Alasdair Cunningham serving as the key points of contact. Day-to-day management of the infrastructure and remediation work will be overseen by Charter Development as part of a collaborative public-private approach to revitalize long-neglected urban land into a resilient community asset.
ABOUT THE CITY OF BROCKTON
About Brockton, the City of Champions: Incorporated in 1881, Brockton is a historic city with a population of 106,000 located 20 miles south of Boston. One of the most diverse cities in the Northeast, Brockton was a stop on the Underground Railroad and is welcoming to immigrants from all over the world, creating a vibrant and unique culture. Brockton is home to three stops on the MBTA commuter rail, and currently has more than 700 new transit-oriented units of housing in development, making the City an affordable and accessible option for people working in Boston. Brockton was the home to world champion boxers Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Rocky Marciano, earning the City the nickname, the City of Champions.
ABOUT CHARTER DEVELOPMENT
Charter Development specializes in complex redevelopment, environmental remediation, and civil infrastructure projects across New England, partnering with municipalities and private entities to revitalize challenging urban sites.
