ARPA Economic Development and Recovery

Economic Development & Recovery.

These ARPA investments will support small businesses, helping them to address financial challenges caused by the pandemic and to make investments in COVID-19 prevention and mitigation tactics, as well as to provide technical assistance. The City will employ a broad array of grant, in-kind assistance, and counseling programs to enable small businesses to rebound from the downturn. A priority will be placed on speeding the recovery of the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors, supporting industries that were particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 emergency and are just now beginning to mend.

Future Grant Programming for 2025 & 2026 

The Lowell Development & Financial Corporation (LDFC) will represent the City as its ARPA Fiscal Agent. The LDFC will act at the City’s direction, to make direct distributions of ARPA funds, to ARPA grant award recipients. The services of the LDFC as the City’s Fiscal Agent will help streamline the distribution of these funds to grant recipients, as well as capture the necessary reporting requirements on the City’s behalf. 

Over the course of 2025 and 2026, The City of Lowell plans on implementing several new grant programs funded through ARPA. Per Massachusetts general law, the City is prohibited from paying for services prior to a project's completion, or the attainment of specific, contracted milestones. Many of the prospective recipients of the new ARPA grants planned for 2025 and 2026 lack the necessary funding or capital to undertake the repairs, upgrades, or other projects that ARPA funds are intended to be used for. By awarding the LDFC with the responsibility of being a Sub-Recipient, the city will be able to get ARPA funding into the hands of grant recipients quicker and more efficiently, which will help expedite the work that small businesses and non-profits would otherwise be unable to undertake. 

Cultural Affairs & Special Events Grant Programs  

The City of Lowell recognizes the important contribution that our local festivals, artisans, and cultural organizations make to the overall economy within Lowell and improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors. As part of the City's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programming, the Cultural Affairs and Special Events (CASE) team will be providing $822,694 in ARPA funded grant awards to Not-For-Profit Festival and Event organizers, Cultural Organizations, and Local Artists within the City of Lowell providing much needed assistance to these vital groups with their pandemic recovery efforts.  

The City understands that public art improves the quality of life for the residents of Lowell. The Public Art grant program invests in public art projects throughout the city to stimulate a sense of community and to encourage residents to venture outdoors and see these works of art. Investing in public art is also an economic driver for the community and will contribute to the City's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Direct Community Investment Grant Program 

The ‘Direct Community Investment Program’ (DCIP) will provide financial support, through a variety of grant opportunities, for future cultural events, non-for-profit festivals, and other public programming activities held within the City of Lowell. Through a publicly posted RFP, The Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) was selected as the Sub-Recipient/ Fiscal Agent to manage this program for the City of Lowell. 

At the direction of the City, the GLCF will manage all DCIP funding opportunities, and help ensure all recipients meet the underlying objectives of the ARPA program (as outlined by the US Treasury) and Lowell’s ARPA recovery plan initiatives. 

Cultural events, festivals, and other public programming activities have always been a vital component of Lowell’s unique social fabric. The return of these events to the City is considered hugely important both to the city’s economic development and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors who come to these social and culturally unique activities in the City of Lowell bring with them a sense of community and celebration that was lost during the pandemic. The same crowds also help with the local economy by visiting shops and restaurants, which was a population that struggled greatly during the pandemic. 

City of Lowell Rebranding Programs 

The City of Lowell is undertaking a comprehensive marketing and rebranding campaign, by creating a multi-channel marketing and advertising campaign to increase awareness of Lowell’s excellent small business community, and all the community has to offer the region in the arena of arts and cultural resources. An RFP was issued for this project and was awarded to Fuseideas at a cost of $741,500. 

In addition to the re-branding effort, the City is undertaking a comprehensive Public Relations program to encourage economic investment in the City of Lowell, further improving our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery from the negative impacts of Covid-19 has been particularly difficult for central business districts and small, locally owned businesses. By further investing in these PR efforts, Lowell will be better positioned to highlight its unique culturally diverse, and art-related businesses that were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic, and are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels of business. 

Economic Resilience Grant Programs  

The Economic Resilience Grant Program was open to businesses located in Lowell in industries that were disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Applicants could apply for assistance under one of the following 3 categories: 

1) Placemaking: Projects that cultivate inclusive and inspiring exterior spaces through public art, communal gathering areas, façade improvements, collaboration with local artists, or other endeavors. 

2) Programming: Organizational growth through new or expanded programs or services. 

3) Facilities and Infrastructure: Renovations to buildings or spaces to address public health concerns, or to become more resilient to climate change, or support organizational expansion. 

The Economic Development Office has created a suite of programs that align with the City of Lowell’s ARPA framework, which was endorsed by the Lowell City Council in October 2022, and intended to address the negative health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and these programs are tailored to the specific needs of Lowell’s local economy. 

As of June 30, 2024, the Economic Resilience Grant (ERG) Program has awarded 25 small businesses in Lowell, almost $695,000 in ARPA grants. 

Storefront Improvement Grant Programs 

The Storefront Improvement Program grant seeks to increase accessibility for storefronts, improve the physical appearance of independent businesses, and enhance the commercial districts of Lowell. This program provides: 

1) 90% matching grant up to $20,000 for ADA improvements to entrances, including ramps, lifts, doors and door hardware, and automatic openers, accessible parking 

2) 50% matching grant up to $15,000 for other facade improvements, including better windows, paneling, architectural details and restoration of historic features 

3) 50% matching grant up to $2,500 for signage, lighting and awning improvements 

As of December 31, 2024, the Storefront Improvement Program (SIP) has awarded more than $538,000 in ARPA grants to over 40 small businesses in Lowell. 

Project Pop-up Business Incubator Programs 

The Project Pop-Up program will curate a pop-up retail space in Lowell’s central business district, creating a pipeline for more retailers to establish themselves in Downtown Lowell on a long-term basis. Project Pop-Up was created to revitalize Lowell’s Downtown. By hiring the firm UpNext LLC to curate a pop-up space in Lowell’s central business district. This program will create a retail incubator space, starting a pipeline for more retailers to establish themselves in Downtown Lowell on a long-term basis. Incentives will also be made available to businesses who establish themselves as part of the pop-up, such as CDBG-funded Small Business Retention Loans, tax credits in certified vacant storefronts through the Massachusetts Vacant Storefront Program, and other opportunities as available. The cost of this program is $465,950

With the success of the original Pop-Up location, the City has expanded the program to focus specifically on Merrimack Street. The Merrimack Street Incubator Program is an additional Pop-Up project which will support the City's goals to sustain and grow small retailers in Lowell in the coming years, enhance the vibrancy in our downtown business district, create entrepreneurial opportunities in the city, and reduce the number of vacant commercial spaces on Merrimack Street. The Economic Development Office in the Department of Planning and Development is focused on making Lowell the best city in the nation to start, scale, and sustain a small business, and unlock the economic potential of all our community members and build generational wealth. 

Downtown Revitalization Programs 

Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will be using ARPA funding allocated for the beautification of Downtown to encourage economic development within the city. The city is actively working to introduce more landscaping and greenery Downtown to assist in beautifying the neighborhood and soften the existing hardscape. The planters are going to be installed along main corridors on Merrimack and Market Streets to introduce some new landscape elements in Downtown. Given the lead time for delivery we anticipate installation of these new materials until spring of 2024. 

Much of the City's downtown area was hard-hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This projects aims to: clean up sidewalks and walking paths making them easier and more enjoyable to navigate; repair and update streetlights in order to provide a safer environment for people walking during the evenings; and clean up public spaces, so more people can be outside and enjoy these areas. 

Compact Sidewalk Sweeper Purchase 

The compact sidewalk sweeping machines are needed to manage areas that cannot be serviced by traditional street sweeping equipment. By accessing areas within the city that street sweepers cannot reach: specifically the city’s Riverwalk path, the many narrow alleyways downtown, all sidewalks across the city, paved and/or cobble paths within city parks and other walking paths. This equipment allows for the Department of Public Works to improve its ability to comply with the Clean Water Act mandates, and better manage NPDES-MS4s by significantly reducing surface trash and debris from entering stormwater/ surface water runoff management systems across the city. 

Downtown Wayfinding Signage Programs 

The program will build and install a variety of kiosks and tourism focused signage throughout Downtown Lowell to aid visitors in finding businesses, restaurants, and popular historic sites within the City of Lowell. By installing new wayfinding signage and kiosks throughout the downtown area, it will enhance a visitors' understanding and experience of Downtown Lowell space. It will also help create a sense of well-being, safety, and security, improving foot traffic into our businesses, contributing to the economic vibrancy of the City as a whole. The Economic Development Office has created a "Wayfinding Master Plan" that aligns with the City of Lowell’s ARPA framework, and was endorsed by the Lowell City Council in October 2022. ARPA is intended to address the negative health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and these programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of Lowell’s tourism and local economy. 

2022-2024 Summer- Fall-Winter Arts & Cultural Festivals 

Lowell's Cultural Affairs & Special Events office (CASE) is working with local vendors, artists, and performers to increase the scope and variety of Fall and Winter festivals which continue to be a critical part to Lowell. 

Supporting the Summer Fall and Winter festival season will provide local businesses an opportunity to showcase their goods and services, while also encouraging tourism within the City of Lowell, and increasing foot traffic to local area shops and restaurants, continuing to build upon their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Smith Baker Center Rehabilitation 

This project was established to rehabilitate the historic Smith-Baker building, in downtown Lowell, with the intent of turning the facility into a community center, arts hub space, or making the building available for sale. 

Local Restaurant Recovery Program 

The Local Restaurant Recovery Program is focused on the promotion of all local eateries within the City of Lowell. The program involves public tasting events, as well as online contests to support, encourage, and reward Lowell-based businesses and their patrons. 

Kerouac Park Downtown Beer Garden Experience 

Funding used to hire a production company that will coordinate and orchestrate an outdoor beer garden in Kerouac Park. The project will drive foot traffic into downtown, encouraging visitors to sample local wares, and visit restaurants and shops. 

Food Establishment Technical Assistance Programs 

The Food Establishment Technical Assistance program is intended to stabilize, sustain, and grow small restaurants in the city of Lowell. The goal of the Food Establishment Technical Assistance program is to support the growth and sustainability of independent restaurants and food businesses in Lowell, MA. In a market where businesses are still struggling to reach pre-COVID revenue, entrepreneurs need more support than ever to grow sustainably by considering novel approaches to business and people management. 

Promote Lowell Marketing Campaign 

The City of Lowell is known as a destination for festivals, parades, but it also has a profound history, abundant national parks, and a vibrant downtown. By expanding the City’s marketing efforts, we expect to see economic benefit to the local economy by supporting local restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues. 

Outdoor Seating for JFK Plaza 

New seating for the JFK Plaza to make the area more attractive, inviting, and enjoyable, by allowing visitors to the City to use the area to gather, socialize, enjoy lunch, or just be outside and enjoy the fresh air. Spending time outdoors is strongly encouraged for a person's overall health and well-being, and by creating these new inviting spaces outside, it provides a place for people to be more comfortable in an outdoor setting. 

Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex Kitchen Incubator Projects 

Research the viability of creating a kitchen incubator space within the Jackson/ Appleton/ Middlesex district in Downtown Lowell. 

CASE Office Event Staff  

Cultural Affairs and Special Events (CASE) will hire a dedicated staff person to manage all ARPA funded festival and event programming for fiscal 2024. 

Retail Technical Assistance Program 

The Retail Technical Assistance program is intended to help sustain and grow small retailers in the city of Lowell, while reducing the number of vacant retail spaces in the city's business and shopping districts. The goal of the Retail Technical Assistance program is to help sustain and grow small retailers in Lowell in the coming years to create additional vibrancy in our business districts, create entrepreneurial opportunities in the city, and reduce the number of vacant commercial spaces in Lowell.  

The Economic Development Office in the Department of Planning and Development wants Lowell to be the best city in the nation to start, scale, and sustain a small business, helping to unlock the economic potential of all our community members and build generational wealth. To do this, we know small business owners in Lowell need concentrated one-on-one and group support. Areas of expertise and topics of educational resources include branding, goal setting, budgeting, marketing, merchandising, and inventory management. 

Downtown Outdoor Entertainment Series  

Free outdoor entertainment in the downtown district helps increase foot traffic for local restaurants and businesses. This program is a new live entertainment event series for the fall months. These events will feature live music, various artists / painters, street performers, and many others at various locations throughout the city’s downtown. These events will be free for the citizens of Lowell to attend and will allow them to enjoy the uniqueness that downtown brings. 

During the pandemic, many restaurants and businesses were negatively impacted by the quarantine rules and through this program our goal is to help promote greater outdoor foot traffic downtown. These events will also help the performers or artists whose livelihoods were also impacted due to the lockdowns. 

Downtown Glass ART Mural Project 

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation, in partnership with Mosaic Lowell, will coordinate the installation of window murals throughout Downtown Lowell as part of the Folk Festival Celebrations. This project is being undertaken as part of the promotion and the Summer Arts & Cultural festival season in Lowell, making the downtown area more inviting and visually stimulating, and encouraging tourism within the City of Lowell and increasing foot traffic for local area businesses. The Economic Development Office has created a suite of programs that align with the City of Lowell’s ARPA framework, which was endorsed by the Lowell City Council in October 2022. ARPA is intended to address the negative health and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and these programs are tailored to the specific needs of Lowell’s local economy.