Town Leadership Hosts State Business Development Officials

Town Council President Ron Vecchia and Town Manager Austin Faison hosted officials from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center this past week for a briefing on the Town’s economic development activities and a tour of Winthrop.

The briefing was an introduction to sites located throughout the Town, an overview of the work currently underway, and an open discussion of Winthrop’s economic development potential, especially in the area of the life sciences industry. Vecchia and Faison were joined in the meeting by Maria Nigro Di Stefano, Northeast Regional Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and Chris Gilrein, Director of Business Development for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. 

“Winthrop is open for business,”said Council PresidentVecchia.

During the visit, Vecchia provided state officials with a comprehensive history of the locations discussed and led a tour of the town, including the Center Business District, the Old Middle School site, Winthrop’s federally designated Opportunity Zone, and others. Said Vecchia, “We are undertaking the hard work necessary to realize an economic renaissance in our community – we are ready to share this work with developers looking to invest in the Greater Boston area.”

Vecchia and Faison heard from state officials what developers are looking for when making community investments, and learned about resources that may be available through state programs to incentivize development projects.

“The Town Manager’s office is excited to work with the Office of Business Development towards future economic development in Winthrop. The Town is positioning itself to compete for business development and to grow our tax base,” said Faison. “In the coming days and weeks, we will be reengaging with the public to get their important input on Winthrop’s future and how we can make it a reality.”

Further discussions are planned for the future that will continue this important conversation and advance the Town’s economic development goals.