Mayor Proposes Zoning Amendment to Spur Development Around Downtown Train Station

NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell is proposing a zoning amendment to encourage development near the new Downtown train station and pedestrian bridge.

The proposed Clasky Common Transit-Oriented Development Overlay District establishes a transit-centric district in the area of Acushnet Avenue and Purchase Street just north of Downtown that encourages multifamily and mixed-use development in vacant and underutilized lots.

It is the Mitchell Administration’s latest step to spur investment in the neighborhood. Recent investments in the area include The Quest, the City’s business development hub that is undergoing a $3 million renovation; New Bedford Research and Robotics, the high-tech nonprofit that is also undergoing a major renovation at the former Glaser Glass site; the securing of the Armory; the reconfiguration of the Purchase and Hillman Street intersection; as well as new housing developments and the inter-city rail station.

“Purchase Street was once a vibrant commercial corridor,” Mayor Mitchell said. “This zoning proposal will make it easier for developers to establish new businesses and build housing to contribute further to the revitalization of the neighborhood.”

The proposed TOD, developed by New Bedford’s Department of City Planning, includes three areas with similar but varying uses to align with the character of their neighborhoods:

  • Subarea A, located between JFK Boulevard/Route 18 and Herman Melville Boulevard south of Wamsutta Street, allows for 100-foot-tall buildings, hotels and event centers.
  • Subarea B, on the east side of Purchase Street from Route 6 to Weld Street, allows for 65-foot-high buildings and a variety of commercial and residential uses.
  • Subarea C, the west side of Purchase Street including some vacant parcels on Pleasant Street, allows for 40-foot-tall buildings as well as residential and neighborhood-scale commercial uses.
  • Residential development would be required to offer a minimum of .75 parking spaces per unit in Subarea A and one parking space per unit in Subareas B and C. Parking requirements for commercial and industrial uses align with modern standards sought by developers.
  • The TOD does not affect the established residential areas between Pleasant and County Streets.

Additionally, new development in the TOD will be guided by design standards to ensure thoughtful, context-sensitive growth that protects neighborhood character.

TOD districts are common zoning tools to facilitate development near public transit. New uses encouraged for the district include multifamily housing construction, restaurants, coffee shops, office space, and light industrial applications. The combination of these uses advances the development of a compact, mixed-use neighborhood where all residents can enjoy easy access to amenities and jobs without being dependent on a car.

This would be the City’s second TOD. Mayor Mitchell’s zoning amendment to create a TOD in the North End along the Kings Highway commercial corridor by the Church Street train station was successful last year.

*Published Feb. 27, 2025