Community Project Funding Requests for Massachusetts’ First Congressional District
Congressman Richard E. Neal has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Massachusetts’ First Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2026 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available HERE.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neal has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Projects Requested:
Reducing Violence Through Intensive Interventions with High-Risk Young People and Effective Partnerships with Law Enforcement
Roca, Inc.
29 School Street, Springfield, MA 01105
This project will sustain and expand programming that has demonstrated a proven, life-saving impact. With a waitlist for services, Roca will utilize this funding to expand capacity amidst a landscape of violence in which guns are increasingly easy to obtain, and community-based violence is exacerbated by complex and chronic trauma. Through this project, Roca would serve 150 of the highest-risk young people with its intensive intervention proven to reduce recidivism and provide young people with the skills needed to achieve long-term behavior change. This project would also allow Roca to leverage its strong partnerships with police and law enforcement—which Roca views as essential to its success in helping young people turn away from violence—to continue to reduce violent crime and homicides in urban communities.
Signed disclosure HERE.
City of Chicopee of Wastewater Treatment Plant Nitrogen Reduction Improvements Project
City of Chicopee
17 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA 01013
The City of Chicopee owns and operates a Water Pollution Control Facility that discharges to the Connecticut River which is tributary to the impaired Long Island Sound National Estuary. As one of the largest sources of Nitrogen on the Connecticut River, the facility continues to work to bring the discharge under the permit limits. To meet this limit, the city has engaged with an engineering consultant to design a multi-phased project. Phase 1 of the upgrade is to begin construction in 2026 with Phase 2 currently under design. Funding for Phase 2 will be used to construct several new tanks and facility buildings at the treatment plant, advancing the City’s efforts to meet environmental standards and improve regional water quality.
Signed disclosure HERE.
City of Holyoke for Downtown Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Stormwater Improvements
City of Holyoke
536 Dwight Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
Modernizing downtown Holyoke’s infrastructure is a vital investment in the city’s core. This project replaces aging sewer and drainage systems across key corridors, including Chestnut, Suffolk, Elm, Walnut, and Pine Streets, to ensure the reliability of municipal utilities. The funding will be used to restore the structural integrity and operational reliability of essential underground systems while upgrading drainage capacity in a highly urbanized environment. Stormwater improvements will also support the City’s long-term efforts to reduce combined sewer system impacts by facilitating future combined sewer overflow (CSO) separation initiatives. Collectively, these enhancements provide the advanced infrastructure needed to support downtown’s increased activity, redevelopment, and economic growth.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Baystate Wing Hospital IV Pump Replacement
Amount Requested: $1,100,000
Baystate Wing Hospital
40 Wright Street, Palmer MA 01069
This funding will modernize the critical medical and digital infrastructure at Baystate Wing Hospital to ensure the continuity of high-quality care for its rural patient population. By replacing obsolete bedside technology and upgrading legacy software, the hospital aims to mitigate the clinical and operational risks associated with aging equipment. The project is a vital use of taxpayer funds as it replaces obsolete, high-risk equipment for the 80% of patients requiring infusion therapy, ensuring rural healthcare technology parity and life-saving “smart pump” safety standards. By integrating centralized cardiac telemetry and modernizing digital platforms, this investment secures service continuity and state-of-the-art clinical outcomes for the community.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Caring Health Center Patient Health Safety Renovation
Amount Requested: $2,548,640
Caring Health Center
1049 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103
Caring Health Center (CHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Springfield, MA, a city designated as both a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). This project will enhance critical health infrastructure and strengthen primary care delivery at CHC’s flagship site at 1049 Main Street. The funding will be used for construction includes reinforcing a structurally vulnerable wall and renovating the main lobby. The wall supports the core infrastructure of a site that serves over 20,000 patients annually across primary, dental, behavioral, and enabling services. A structural failure would force the closure and relocation of these services, jeopardizing care continuity for a South End community that already faces systemic barriers to access. The lobby renovations will modernize a layout designed 13 years ago that no longer meets current patient volume or complexity. The redesign will improve entry control, visibility, and patient flow, ensuring a safe, welcoming environment where patients receive team-based care with the privacy, respect, and dignity they deserve.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Community Health Programs Pittsfield Relocation Project
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
Community Health Programs
442 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 10230
Community Health Programs (CHP), a Federally Qualified Health Center, provides comprehensive care to all ages across Berkshire County. In 2024, CHP served 28,000 patients, representing 25% of the county population, through more than 100,000 appointments. Due to a lease termination, CHP must vacate its current Pittsfield clinical spaces by June 30, 2027. This project will fund the relocation and expansion into a new 22,500-square-foot facility, ensuring uninterrupted access to medical, dental, behavioral health, and substance use services. By staying in downtown Pittsfield, CHP remains accessible to the thousands of patients who walk or use public transit. Beyond a simple relocation, this project allows for modest growth and the establishment of a Pittsfield-based Family Services Center, integrating medical care with essential social services to ensure equitable health outcomes for the region’s most underserved families.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Fairview Hospital CT Scanner Replacement
Amount Requested: $974,800
Fairview Hospital
29 Lewis Avenue, Great Barrington, MA 01230
As the primary healthcare provider serving southern Berkshire County, Fairview Hospital is not only essential to the delivery of acute and preventative medical services but is also a cornerstone of regional stability by supporting the workforce, safeguarding public health, and helping rural communities remain resilient and viable. This project will fund the replacement of the hospital’s CT (computed tomography) scanner, which is now more than a decade old and is approaching the end of its useful life. This particular clinical equipment is vital in providing detailed and rapid 3-D imaging to effectively diagnose stroke and trauma cases. A Critical Access Hospital without a functioning CT Scanner would be significantly limited in its ability to care for patients, many of whom face challenges due to advanced age and the lack of strong transportation infrastructure in the area.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Hilltown Community Health Centers Westfield Expansion
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Hilltown Community Health Centers
58 Old North Rd, Worthington, MA 01098
Western Massachusetts continues to face significant gaps in affordable, community-based primary care and behavioral health services. To address these disparities, this project facilitates the acquisition and clinical renovation of a 5,000-square-foot facility in Westfield, MA. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), HCHC is uniquely positioned to dismantle barriers to timely care for Medicaid beneficiaries, uninsured residents, and other vulnerable populations. Once operational, the site will provide comprehensive primary care, integrated behavioral health, and limited dental services. By offering same-day appointments and extended evening and weekend hours, the clinic will specifically accommodate working families while reducing avoidable emergency department utilization. Through strengthening the region’s healthcare safety net, this project will improve health outcomes, promote health equity, and reduce long‑term healthcare system costs.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Huntington Health Center HVAC Replacement and Roof Repair
Amount Requested: $350,000
Hilltown Community Health Centers
58 Old North Rd, Worthington, MA 01098
Hilltown Community Health Centers (HCHC) operates four locations serving thousands of residents across 80 Hilltowns between the Connecticut River and the Berkshires. To sustain this care, critical infrastructure upgrades are required at the Huntington Health Center. The project will replace deteriorated roof sections and install high-efficiency HVAC units to serve exam rooms and vaccine storage. These capital improvements are necessary to maintain compliant temperature and humidity control, protect clinical equipment, support infection prevention standards, and ensure uninterrupted access to primary and behavioral health services in a federally designated rural Health Professional Shortage Area.
Signed disclosure HERE.
North Adams Regional Hospital MRI Replacement
Amount Requested: $1,705,463.02
North Adams Regional Hospital
71 Hospital Avenue, North Adams, MA 01247
North Adams Regional Hospital, a federally designated Critical Access Hospital, serves as a healthcare lifeline for rural Berkshire County. This project funds the acquisition of a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to replace a 14-year-old unit nearing the end of its functional life. Modernizing this equipment is essential for the timely diagnosis of complex conditions like stroke, where rapid intervention is life-saving. This upgrade will significantly enhance the hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality, efficient care to a population navigating the challenges of advanced age, geographic isolation, and limited transportation.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Compass Rail/West-East Rail Station Access Improvements
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
Compass Rail intercity passenger rail ridership in Western Massachusetts has approximately doubled since 2018, underscoring the need to continually improve station access and passenger information as demand grows. This project will support the planning, design, and implementation of access, wayfinding, and information enhancements at stations served by Amtrak-operated Compass Rail service in Massachusetts, including Springfield, Pittsfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield. MassDOT will evaluate existing conditions and recommend improvements, which may include infrastructure upgrades, enhanced signage, and updated public information displays. The project aims to deliver station enhancements that improve the overall rider experience, comfort, and accessibility.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Dan Casey Memorial Drive Culvert Replacement
Amount Requested: $2,400,000
City of Pittsfield
70 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
The Dan Casey culverts have experienced accelerating deterioration due to low-lying, poor soil conditions, continued settlement, and erosion along the roadway edges. A 2019 state inspection found the causeway’s culvert structurally deficient, and a January 2024 inspection uncovered further corrosion, erosion and a sinkhole. Traffic has been narrowed to a single lane protected by concrete barriers since April 2024, and the roadway continues to face emergency closures due to flooding and high-water levels. Technical assessments reveal a dire structural failure: two of the three existing culverts have collapsed, and the third is 90% obstructed, severely severing the hydrological connection between Onota Lake’s basins. The updated design is engineered for long-term resilience, significantly increasing capacity to withstand future flooding events.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Lanesborough, MA Bridge Replacement – Bridge Street over Town Brook
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Town of Lanesborough
83 North Main Street, Lanesborough, MA 01237
The project consists of the complete replacement of Bridge No. L-03-010 over the Town Brook in Lanesborough, Massachusetts. The bridge, located on Bridge Street, spans the Town Brook with a three-span rolled steel beam superstructure and is located approximately 400 feet west of the intersection of Bridge Street and North Main Street (Route 7). The existing 3-span bridge will be replaced with a single span pre-stressed concrete box beam bridge on new abutments. A new sidewalk on one side of the bridge is proposed along with a share use vehicle/bicycle lane in both directions of travel.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Resurfacing of the Hamilton Reservoir Dam
Amount Requested: $700,000
Town of Holland
27 Sturbridge Road, Holland, MA 01521
Since its inception, Holland has been part of the Quinebaug River Valley watershed, which flows through the town and merges with the French and Middle Rivers to form the Thames River. In 1865, the Quinebaug River was dammed, creating Hamilton Reservoir. The present dam was constructed in 1956 after a flood caused the previous structure to rupture, inundating large areas of the town. The Hamilton Reservoir dam is currently classified as a large-sized structure with a HIGH (Class I) hazard designation and requires critical structural intervention to address decades of degradation. Key deficiencies include structural decay, mechanical issues, vegetation overgrowth, and fractures in the outlet structure, walkway, and downstream curbing. This project represents a proactive effort to restore the dam’s integrity, ensure public safety, and preserve community stability. Funding will support resurfacing the spillway to halt concrete degradation; repairing structural issues around the sluice gate and outlet structures; clearing hazardous vegetation to stabilize embankments and downstream flow; and remediating exposed rebar and spalled concrete to prevent further corrosion.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Revitalization of Dunham Mall
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
City of Pittsfield
70 Allen Street, Pittsfield MA, 01201
Dunham Mall is a key pedestrian corridor in Downtown Pittsfield that connects major civic buildings, local businesses, and residential units. This funding would be used to transform the area into a durable, fully accessible, and high-quality public space through comprehensive infrastructure upgrades. Key improvements include the reconstruction of aging pavement, the integration of ADA-compliant routes, and enhanced stormwater management. Additionally, the project will install permanent furnishings, upgraded landscaping, and improved lighting and electrical services to bolster public safety and support long-term event programming, ensuring the mall remains a welcoming hub for community activation.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Southampton, MA Safe Routes to School (William E. Norris Elementary School)
Amount Requested: $2,059,966
Town of Southampton
210 College Highway, Southampton, MA 01073
This project will provide traffic safety and pedestrian improvements to encourage safe walking and biking for students and drivers in a 0.42 mile stretch of Pomeroy Meadow Road where the William E. Norris School is located. The project includes full-depth reconstruction of an existing 4′ asphalt sidewalk along a 2,200 foot portion of Pomeroy Meadow Rd (east side): replace with a 10′ wide shared use ADA compliant path, with 2′ grass strip and vertical granite curbing along roadway, two new crosswalks with ADA compliant Pedestrian Curb Ramps (PCR’s) at Courtney and Parsons Lanes with two rapid rectangular flashing beacons, new 5′ wide sidewalk (west side) to fill gaps for providing better pedestrian connectivity, and upgrade of existing crosswalk at Gunn Road.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Stabilization and Preservation of Old First Church
Amount Requested: $1,730,000
City of Springfield
36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103
Located at Court Square, Old First Church has been a defining landmark of Downtown Springfield since 1819. Following the congregation’s disbandment, the City of Springfield acquired the property in 2007, subsequently shepherding the historic structure through its 2011 tornado recovery and a 2014 steeple restoration. Currently, the building requires comprehensive stabilization and repair, including structural reinforcement, roof replacement, masonry repointing, and asbestos abatement. This restoration is a cornerstone of the Court Square Reactivation initiative; while the building is currently vacant, a revitalized Old First Church will serve as a versatile, multipurpose City-owned asset designed to support the Springfield community’s evolving needs.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Sturbridge, MA Safe Routes to School (Burgess Elementary School)
Amount Requested: $1,125,000
Town of Sturbridge
308 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA 01566
This project includes installing a pedestrian multi-use sidewalk from Cedar St. to Burgess Elementary School on Burgess School Rd., installing 2 pedestrian warning flasher assemblies at the intersection of Burgess School Rd. and Cedar St. and at the existing crosswalk at Burgess School Rd. and the driveway, adding pavement markings to Burgess School Rd., resetting the current guardrails, reposition the northern guardrail between the travel lane and multi-use sidewalk and upgrading the signs to meet MassDOT and MUTCD standards.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Uniroyal Reimagined
Amount Requested: $2,952,600
City of Chicopee
274 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013
The City of Chicopee has been planning the redevelopment of the former Uniroyal Tire factory site since 2010. This project will transform the historic mill complex and brownfield site into a vibrant mixed-use community, featuring 448 new residential units, approximately 6,000 square feet of commercial space, and a variety of community amenities and open spaces. The redevelopment will incorporate four of the original Uniroyal buildings, which the City has already abated and prepared for reuse. The project is expected to require nearly $200 million in total investment and will be completed in two phases.
Signed disclosure HERE.
Veterans Park Recreational Development
Amount Requested: $2,280,606
Town of Ludlow
488 Chapin Street, Ludlow, MA
Veterans Park would be a new community recreational gathering space with pickleball courts, playground equipment, athletic fields, a family picnic area and a pavilion with lawn space along with ADA-compliant walking paths. The new community space would be on the site of the former Veterans Park Elementary School, which was demolished using federal ARPA funding. Once completed, the project would transform the currently unused property into an active public amenity that supports outdoor recreation, family activities, and community events while providing a safe, accessible park for Ludlow residents of all ages.
Signed disclosure HERE.