Hanson is back in the running for state cash after clearing a key hurdle on the MBTA Communities law, a move that restores its eligibility for Community One Stop for Growth grants and lets the town jump into the latest funding round. Town leaders say they have submitted four One Stop grant applications totaling roughly $1.4 million, aimed at Main Street upgrades, site‑readiness work and redevelopment of the long‑vacant Plymouth County Hospital parcel. The Select Board announced the filings last Tuesday.
Officials call compliance a game‑changer
Town Administrator Lisa Green told South Shore News that Hanson’s newly achieved compliance “restored the town’s eligibility for state funding.” She added, "I am hoping that we do get at least one or two now that we are MBTA compliant." Green said Town Planner Tony De Frias pulled together and submitted the applications ahead of the state deadline, a scramble that hinged on getting that compliance notice in hand.
State review confirmed technical compliance
An Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities determination letter found Hanson’s MBTA overlay district met the statute’s acreage and unit‑capacity thresholds, explicitly qualifying the town for MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund consideration. The determination, issued in late 2025, is the gating step city and town planners have pointed to since the statute was enacted. According to Mass.gov, that letter is the document communities must show to prove eligibility for several One Stop funding streams.
Four applications focus on downtown and hospital parcel
The four One Stop requests, totaling roughly $1.4 million, are targeted at site‑readiness work, Main Street infrastructure improvements and the underutilized Plymouth County Hospital property, as reported by South Shore News. Hanson meeting minutes and planning documents going back to 2024 show the hospital parcel and adjacent park assets have been a recurring redevelopment priority for the town, and that similar grant rounds have been pursued in prior years to try to get the site moving.
One Stop timeline forced a tight window
The Community One Stop for Growth full‑application period opened in early May and closed in early June, which made an official compliance determination a hard requirement for any town hoping to participate in the FY27 round. The One Stop consolidates a dozen state grant programs, including the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, into a single application process, with awards for the FY27 cycle expected this fall. Program rules and the application calendar are posted on Mass.gov.
Local stakes and past funding
Hanson has relied heavily on state grants to advance capital projects, and officials have warned that noncompliance could jeopardize both future awards and funds tied to prior approvals. Select Board minutes list prior One Stop and related grant requests tied to Main Street and the hospital property, underscoring why compliance mattered to local leaders. Town planning records and meeting minutes show previous grant activity aimed at site readiness and downtown improvements, according to Town of Hanson meeting minutes.
For now, Hanson will wait for the state’s review process to play out this fall and for any awards to be announced. Town officials say successful grants would help jump‑start stalled redevelopment projects and provide a badly needed budgetary lift for infrastructure work in the town center.
