Fall River RDA: Seaport grant awarded for Northfield Point; Northfield revetment and NoMa improvements advance

At its Jan. 28 meeting the Fall River Redevelopment Authority reported progress on several waterfront and downtown projects and said it had been awarded Seaport Council funding for the final stage of work at Northfield Point.

Staff said cathodic protection work and final coatings inspections were completed in December and that the contractor’s final requisition, including retainage release, was included in this month’s warrant. The Northfield revetment stonework and erosion control are finished, hydroseeding was completed after Christmas, and the project team is awaiting final pricing for additional square footage; staff expects to include those numbers in the February board packet.

On moorings and the dinghy dock, staff reported a current final mooring count of 15 (down from a prior estimate of 18) and said the federal contract for the moorings must be put out to bid and executed with a contractor before work proceeds.

Staff told the board the authority was awarded "the full amount of our grant request" by the Seaport Council for the Northfield Point final stage of work; staff said a pre-contract worksheet has been sent for budgeting and cashflow and that the authority expects to receive a contract through CIPO in the coming weeks to prepare a bid package aimed at a spring start.

Board members discussed timing for public access and agreed to keep temporary fencing in place to protect newly planted landscaping (noting they did not want large public events on newly hydroseeded areas until plantings are established).

Separately, staff reported progress in the North Downtown (NoMa) district: 15 streetlights have been upgraded with new globes to improve nighttime illumination and seven more are on order (20-week lead time). Staff outlined an events calendar running March–December, including a monthly "Taste of NoMa" and a June 20 Juneteenth event planned with the Bristol Black Collective and guided tours of Underground Railroad sites; the events are intended to boost downtown restaurant sales during slower months.

Staff clarified that the local organizer 'Stephanie' involved in events is Stephanie Mancini, a separate local business owner who runs craft classes and has worked with local partners on downtown programming.