Brockton, MA Brockton, the largest city in Plymouth County, has quietly been undergoing a facelift, especially in its downtown. One such planned revitalization is occurring due to a collaboration between the Brockton Redevelopment Authority (BRA) with support from the city and a site readiness grant by MassDevelopment. 

Last year, the BRA launched a two-step procurement process that concluded in the selection of Charter Development LLC as the BRA’s partner for the Trout Brook Redevelopment District, a site comprising 44.76 acres of developable land. To date, the BRA has negotiated and executed a development agreement with Charter, which is now undertaking due diligence on the property. 

In February 2023, the BRA issued a request for letters of interest and qualifications (RFI/Q) from experienced developers or development teams interested in partnering with the city on a mixed-use redevelopment project within the downtown Trout Brook redevelopment district. It then established a selection committee comprised of representatives from the city, city council and the BRA with the executive director serving as chair. A representative of MassDevelopment served as a technical advisor to the committee. 

“I am excited about this project’s new residential units that will revitalize the tax base and create commercial space that will attract shoppers from throughout the region. It is in a transportation node, which corresponds with the MBTA Communities law’s requirements – that cities and towns zone a district for multi-family housing,” said BRA executive director Nathalie Jean. 

The selection committee members reviewed the developer proposals and discussed and deliberated on each. Following presentations and interviews with each developer proposer, the selection committee finalized scoring using the RFP selection criteria. In July 2023, the BRA selected the Charter Development team, which demonstrated relevant experience in the design and implementation of complex, risky-brownfield redevelopment projects in urban renewal plans.

“The development of the Trout Brook Redevelopment District, on property owned by CSX, is a critical component of our plan to revitalize Brockton’s downtown into a vibrant, transit-oriented community. The selection of Charter Development LLC, a well-established development company, brings us one step closer to realizing this vision. We look forward to working with Charter to optimize the potential of this very important space, and we thank the Brockton Redevelopment Authority for their partnership in this process.” 

Charter’s proposal is a transit-oriented, mixed-use development that includes over 1,000-market rate and income-restricted units. Residents will benefit from an easy walk to commuter rail, a regional transit hub and downtown’s amenities. The Charter plan emphasizes open space including a centrally located town green and linear park along Trout Brook that will provide green space for gatherings, relaxation and informal recreation. The proposal also includes a comprehensive community outreach plan, ensuring that residents, businesses and stakeholders actively engage in the public process. Charter’s expertise, innovative approach, and commitment to the Brockton community will be of significant value to the revitalization of a key site in the downtown area. 

“Charter is thrilled to partner with the BRA on this transformative project for the city of Brockton. We look forward to seeing a new transit-oriented neighborhood grow on this long-neglected piece of property, creating public amenities and economic benefits for the city,” said Charter’s founder and chief executive director Bob Delhome. 

Charter Development LLC has over 30 years of experience working in large-scale environmental remediation, soil management, civil construction, and brownfield redevelopment. As the Brownfield Project Development affiliate of Charter Contracting, Charter excels in advancing challenging projects in Gateway cities and urban waterfront communities, where economic growth has either stalled or been hampered by the presences of significant environmental liabilities. Charter is supported on this project by Langan Engineering and Environmental Services and Brown, Richardson & Rowe, landscape architecture.